Iran declares there is no reason to negotiate with the US.

According to TASS on February 1st, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iranian leaders see no reason to begin direct negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump. Araghchi said that lifting the embargo on Iranian assets could be the first step in restoring trust between Tehran and Washington.

"For negotiations to take place, there needs to be a reason. Currently, I don't see any reason for that. But of course, we need to see what policy the US will pursue, whether there is a basis for dialogue," Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera, answering a question about Tehran's readiness to negotiate directly with the Trump administration.

Mr. Araghchi added: “Previously, we negotiated directly with the US, we were in regular contact with them, and we were able to conclude a nuclear agreement. The US administration decided to withdraw from the agreement, and trust is eroding. I'm not saying that it's impossible to restore trust, but it's very difficult.”

Iran's foreign minister stated that the parties are "stuck in a mire of mistrust," noting that "unlocking Iranian assets" frozen by the US in various jurisdictions could be the first step "to restoring trust."

"I can't say that one or two steps will restore trust, because our relationship has come a long way. I think the U.S. understands better than anyone what needs to be done to achieve this," Araghchi said.

According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, if negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are successful, the parties will be able to begin discussions on other issues, including Syria and Lebanon.

"Previously, when we negotiated with the US, the EU, China, and Russia, we decided that the negotiations would be limited to the nuclear issue. Past experience has been successful; in those negotiations, we told the US, Europe, and the international community that if the negotiations on the nuclear issue were successful, then we would be able to begin a positive dialogue on other issues," said Araghchi.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany with Iran in 2015 to address the crisis related to its nuclear program. In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed all sanctions against Iran that had been lifted under the terms of the JCPOA.

Since April 2021, Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France have been negotiating with Iran to revive the agreement that ended unsuccessfully in 2022.