"Iran has repeatedly announced that it has never abandoned and will never reject diplomacy,” Araghchi said in an interview with an online channel published on Saturday.
He added that Iran is now ready for diplomatic engagement with the US “if the Americans are willing to negotiate seriously and genuinely for a mutually beneficial agreement, not a one-sided one, and based on mutual respect and from an equal footing.”
"We will not compromise on the rights of the Iranian people and will not tolerate domination and bullying over the Iranian people; however, we are ready for any wise solution,” Araghchi emphasized.
He reiterated that Iran does not need nuclear weapons, saying the country's “ability to say no to the powers” was its "atomic bomb", which he said has been the case since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
“The problem between Iran and the US is the hegemonic nature of the other side, but we can manage the relations,” the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.
He said Tehran had been engaged in talks with Washington about its nuclear energy program to build confidence and give assurances that there was no deviation in it when Iran came under attack in June.
He added that the two sides had held five rounds of negotiations and were planning to hold the sixth round on June 15, but the Israeli regime started its war of aggression suddenly two nights before that.
The foreign minister emphasized that Iran’s resistance during the 12 days of the Israeli-American war was a “turning point” in history.
"It was an important principle for us that this war should not set a precedent for dealing with Iran. The whole world must understand that Iranians do not remain silent in the face of oppression, pressure, and war, but rather resist,” Araghchi pointed out.
During the 12-day war, he said, Iranians proved that they would never give up their rights and flee from war but would stand firm and resist.
He stressed the importance of maintaining the country’s preparedness, adding that this “does not mean a new war is likely.”
“Preparedness is the most important factor in preventing war. I am confident that this experience will not be repeated, and if they make a mistake, they will face a similar response,” the foreign minister said.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked war against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.
More than a week later, the United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the illegal assault.
Iran wants enrichment as its right
Elsewhere in the interview, Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s “completely peaceful and legal” nuclear energy program, saying Tehran has no intention to build bombs or nuclear weapons.
“We want enrichment because it is our right, while others say we should not have it. Our security doctrine does not include nuclear weapons at all for different reasons,” he added.
He noted that the Iranian nation is ready to pay a heavy price but will not allow its dignity, honor, and independence to be disrupted.
The foreign minister criticized the US for setting preconditions for sitting down to talks with Iran, saying, “This method is a dictate and we will never accept it. This is the characteristic of the Iranian nation which have always stood for their independence and dignity.
He added that a major part of Iran’s “serious” disagreements with the US stems from the US hegemony.
“If the US sets aside its hegemonic nature toward Iran, we can interact… The Iranian nation does not respond to the language of bullying, pressure, and sanctions but will respond to the language of respect.”
“If you speak and act with dignity toward the Iranian nation, you will receive a similar response,” Araghchi told the US.
He said Iran had no positive experience with the US and does not trust it, “but even without trust, we can interact cautiously.”
“We did this, but we did not receive a positive response. This is the nature of the Americans. Now, there is no positive ground for interaction,” he concluded.
Press TV