Iran sets conditions for reopening its embassy in Damascus and negotiating with Trump

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday linked the reopening of the Iranian embassy in Damascus under the new Syrian administration to ensuring its security, noting that recognition of this administration is “another issue that will be discussed at the appropriate time.”

In an interview with Iranian television, Araghchi said that what matters to Iran in Syria is confronting its occupation by the Israeli entity, preserving the integrity of its territories, confronting an “internal national and separatist war,” forming a comprehensive government, and developing this country, as he put it.

He also set a condition for negotiations with the incoming US administration led by Donald Trump on Iran's nuclear file, saying: "We will not hold nuclear negotiations with the new US administration unless this administration returns to the nuclear agreement, or announces its policies" on this matter. Araghchi stressed that his country will only participate in "dignified and honorable negotiations based on mutual respect," stressing that Tehran is ready to build confidence in its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

The Iranian Foreign Minister announced Tehran's readiness to negotiate with the Europeans regarding Ukraine, adding that "if Europe complains about the reason for the presence of Iranian weapons in the hands of the Russians, it must also bear its responsibilities regarding military cooperation with the Zionist entity," explaining that the occupation of Syrian lands, the war on Lebanon, and the war of extermination in Gaza are carried out with Western weapons.

He stressed that Iranian-Russian military cooperation has been ongoing "for a long time", attributing the goal of the ongoing negotiations with the three European countries (Britain, Germany and France), which held their third round during the last two days, to "searching for a way to resume the nuclear negotiations".

The Iranian minister stressed that his country had never left the negotiating table regarding its nuclear program, stressing that this program has a "peaceful nature," and describing the discussions with the three European countries during the last two days as "positive," while saying that the Iranian negotiating delegation sensed "seriousness" on the part of those European parties.

New Arab