After the 12-day war — in which, as Araqchi said, “its first missile hit the negotiating table” — the foreign minister announced that requests for negotiations with Iran have resumed, signaling the failure of the military option and the return of diplomacy to center stage.
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On Sunday, November 15 (25 Aban), Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi spoke at a specialized panel of the international conference “International Law Under Attack: Aggression and Defense,” hosted by Kazem Sajjadpour. Responding to a question about the future of diplomacy after the U.S. attack, he discussed the implications of the recent war and the role of negotiations. He noted that “the first missile fired by the United States and Israel hit the Iran–U.S. negotiating table,” stressing that the recent military assault was effectively an attack on diplomacy itself. According to him, the conflict demonstrated that “there is no path other than diplomacy.”
Referring to the failure of the United States and Israel to achieve their objectives, Araqchi said they were unable to reach what they sought regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He reiterated: “Facilities may be destroyed, but technology cannot be eliminated by aerial bombardment — and the will of nations does not disappear under airstrikes.” He added that, after the collapse of the military option, “requests for negotiations have resumed, and this is natural.”
Explaining the foundations of negotiation and diplomacy, he stated: “You cannot obtain in negotiations what you failed to achieve in war.” Araqchi described negotiation as a process based on “give-and-take and mutual interests,” emphasizing that it only makes sense when “reasonable and logical criteria” are upheld.
Araqchi stressed that Iran has always been ready for dialogue and has “never left the negotiating table.” He recalled that, in the 2015 JCPOA, Iran “negotiated in good faith, agreed in good faith, and implemented in good faith,” while the United States “without any reason” withdrew from the deal and “betrayed diplomacy.” He said the recent attack represented a more severe repetition of the same behavior, now in military form.
The foreign minister summarized Iran’s post-war outlook by saying the country successfully endured a “very difficult and intense war,” and that Iran’s defensive capability is now “much stronger” than before the conflict. Araqchi noted that, while Iran’s opponents initially sought Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” “on the twelfth day of the war they sent a message requesting an unconditional ceasefire.” He cited the precision and impact of Iran’s missiles in the final days of the conflict as a decisive factor.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Araqchi credited the resilience of the Iranian people, the preservation of nuclear technology, and the restoration of defensive capabilities as major achievements after the war. He emphasized that, despite the economic difficulties caused by sanctions, they “have not been able to break our will,” and Iran continues its path of progress.
He further stated: “There is no way to resolve issues with the Islamic Republic of Iran except through diplomacy and the language of respect and dignity.” Pointing to the 2013–2015 negotiations, he stressed that mutual respect is essential for successful talks, while hostile behavior will receive a proportionate response.
In closing, Araqchi said political actors must learn from the two recent experiences — the “successful yet betrayed 2015 agreement” and the “12-day war” — and choose which model they intend to apply in their interactions with Iran. As he put it: “We are prepared for both experiences.”
