He made the remarks at the National Congress on the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Policy in Tehran on Sunday, two days after Iran and the United States held indirect nuclear talks in Oman following weeks of escalating tensions caused by the US war rhetoric against Iran.
“We are a man of diplomacy, we are also a man of war; not in the sense that we seek war, but … we are ready to fight so that no one dares to fight us,” he said.
Currently, he added, the foremost principle of Iran’s foreign policy is dignity, which means preserving independence, negating domination and defending the country’s sovereignty.
Araghchi further emphasized that Iran’s response depends on the tone adopted by others toward the country, saying diplomacy will be met with the same language, as it is the case with the use of force and the language of respect.
Meanwhile, he expressed Tehran’s readiness to resolve ambiguities about its peaceful nuclear program, noting that diplomacy is the only way to do as other paths have not yielded results.
“They (the enemies) bombed our facilities, but they failed to achieve the result they wanted. Knowledge cannot be destroyed by bombing; technology cannot be destroyed. There is technology and there is knowledge, so there is no choice but to negotiate,” he said.
Additionally, in his remarks, the top diplomat stressed that Iran’s official right to the peaceful nuclear energy program exists and that the country wants its right to be respected.
“I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others,” Araghchi said.
“They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers. The secret of the Islamic Republic’s power is to say no to the powers.”
Meanwhile, the foreign minister referred to the illegal US-Israeli aggression against Iran that killed at least 1,064 people between June 13 and 27, 2025.
He said the war would have remained a stain in Iranian history if the nation had not resisted the enemies.
“The indomitability of the Iranian people had to be proven, and this was proven in the 12-day war. Those who … tweeted “unconditional surrender” on the third day of the war… sent a message of “unconditional ceasefire” on the 12th day. Why? Because we were not afraid of war and resisted,” he pointed out.
The Iran-US indirect negotiations came at a time when the region is once again bracing for another potential military confrontation after the United States deployed air and naval forces to the region and threatened to attack the Islamic Republic.
Araghchi described the Muscat talks as a “good start,” adding that both sides intend to continue the discussions.
Press TV