Iran's missile, defence capabilities 'will never be negotiated': Araghchi

Iran’s missile and defence capabilities will never be up for negotiation, its top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said on Friday after top-level talks in Istanbul.

“I want to state firmly that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities will never be subject to negotiation,” he said at a press conference in Istanbul after talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States “on an equal footing”, Abbas Araghchi said.

“If the negotiations are fair and on an equal footing, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate,” he said, adding the standard disclaimer that Tehran has “never sought to obtain nuclear weapons”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister further said that Tehran had no plans in place to meet with US officials about resuming talks, insisting that preparatory work was the first priority.

“No meeting plan has been set between us and the Americans. We are ready for fair and just negotiations, but preparations are needed, both in terms of the form and subject of the discussions and the venue,” he said, indicating he had discussed the matter with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan at talks in Istanbul.

on the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin met the head of Iran’s top security body in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said, as Donald Trump sought to force Tehran to make a deal on its nuclear programme.

“The head of state received in the Kremlin the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Larijani, who is visiting Russia,” the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Earlier on Friday, US President Trump said he believed Iran — a close ally of Russia — wanted to make a deal on its nuclear programme to avoid military action.

Trump also renewed his threat to launch strikes against Iran, which recently imposed a crackdown on protesters that observers said killed thousands.

Iran’s Moscow embassy posted on social media that Friday’s talks between Putin and Larijani focused on economic ties and “important regional and international issues”, without elaborating further.

The visit had not been previously announced, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

Moscow has offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran.

While Iran emerged as one of Russia’s main allies during the war in Ukraine, Russia gives Tehran crucial international backing.