Iran and the United States have opened discussions intended to provide mutual assurances that Iran's nuclear program will remain peaceful, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.
Speaking on the MS NOW platform, Araghchi stressed that Tehran has not put forward any proposal to suspend its nuclear activities. At the same time, he said the United States has not demanded a complete halt to uranium enrichment.
"What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever," Araghchi said.
The foreign minister characterized the ongoing exchanges as focused on crafting assurances and mechanisms that would keep Iran's nuclear efforts within peaceful bounds. He framed the conversations as practical and time-sensitive, with both parties interested in a prompt resolution.
"Both nations are working toward reaching an agreement quickly," Araghchi said. "We only talk with each other how we can have a fast deal. And a fast deal is something that both sides are interested about."
Those remarks indicate that, at this stage, the two governments are negotiating terms that prioritize guarantees of peaceful intent rather than immediate cessation of nuclear activities. The discussions thus far, as described by the Iranian foreign minister, do not include a proposal from Iran to halt its program nor an American demand to end enrichment entirely.
Diplomatic engagement between Tehran and Washington in this area remains active, with both sides reportedly seeking a rapid path to agreement. The exact contours of any prospective assurances, verification measures, or timelines were not detailed in the comments attributed to Araghchi.
Reporter note: The public statements quoted here reflect the comments made by Iran's foreign minister on MS NOW and summarize the positions he described during that appearance.