Iran Demands U.S. ceases future Airstrikes Before Nuclear Talks Resume
TEHRAN, Iran – June 30, 2025 – Iran’s deputy foreign minister has warned that diplomatic talks with the United States cannot proceed unless Washington rules out further military strikes on Iranian territory.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran received a message through mediators that the U.S. government wants to resume nuclear negotiations. But he made it clear that Iran will not enter any dialogue without a commitment that airstrikes will not continue during talks.
“We are seeking an answer to this question are we going to see a repetition of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?” Takht-Ravanchi told reporters in Tehran. “The U.S. must be clear on this very important question.”
His remarks come after U.S. forces bombed three Iranian nuclear sites Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 21. The strikes followed nearly two weeks of escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel. Israel began its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear facilities and military commanders inside Iran, which retaliated with missile strikes on Israeli targets.
President Donald Trump defended the U.S. strikes, claiming Iran’s nuclear sites were “totally obliterated.” However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) offered a more measured assessment, saying the sites suffered serious but not complete damage.
Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s director general, stated that Iran could restart uranium enrichment within months. Takht-Ravanchi declined to confirm this timeline but reaffirmed Iran’s intent to maintain uranium enrichment for what he described as peaceful purposes.
“We have been denied access to nuclear material for research, so we rely on ourselves,” he said. “The level and capacity of enrichment can be discussed, but to demand zero enrichment under threat of bombing that is the law of the jungle.”
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran agreed not to enrich uranium above 3.67% and to halt activity at Fordo for 15 years. That agreement collapsed in 2018 when Trump withdrew the U.S., citing concerns the deal failed to block a path to nuclear weapons. Since then, Iran has breached the deal’s limits and is now enriching uranium up to 60%, just short of weapons-grade.
The Congressional Budget Office recently projected that proposed U.S. spending cuts linked to the same legislation that authorized the strikes would cause 12 million Americans to lose healthcare coverage. Tillis voted against the bill, citing “tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina,” highlighting how foreign policy and domestic issues remain tightly intertwined.
Takht-Ravanchi also addressed Western skepticism of Iran’s intentions. He condemned what he described as European silence over Israeli and U.S. aggression.
“If they do not have the guts to criticize America, they should keep silent,” he said. “Not try to justify aggression.”
Iran’s Parliament has already voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the agency of bias toward the U.S. and Israel. Tensions between Tehran and Western powers have grown increasingly hostile, with Iranian leaders viewing recent military and diplomatic maneuvers as coordinated efforts to weaken the Islamic Republic.
Despite these setbacks, Takht-Ravanchi confirmed that Iran would observe the ceasefire with Israel, as long as no new attacks occur. He also acknowledged that Qatar and other Gulf nations are working to create space for diplomacy.
“We do not want war,” he said. “We want dialogue. But we must be cautious not to be surprised again.”
No date has been set for formal negotiations.
