TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reaffirmed Iran’s firm position on its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), emphasizing that Tehran would not accept any compromise on a hard-earned scientific achievement.

“Our stance on Iran’s rights as an NPT member is crystal clear,” he said. “Mastering enrichment technology is a homegrown success—built through decades of sacrifice, both in terms of blood and resources. There is no scenario in which Iranians will permit deviation from this path.”

The senior Iranian diplomat added that the path to a lasting agreement remains open, should Washington prove ready for a serious and realistic approach.

“If the United States is genuinely interested in ensuring that Iran will not possess nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach,” Araghchi said. “We are prepared for a constructive conversation to achieve a solution that guarantees this outcome permanently. But enrichment in Iran will continue—with or without a deal.”

Additionally, Araghchi said that while the United States is free to tailor its public messaging to domestic audiences and special interest groups, Tehran will remain committed to conducting negotiations in a professional and discreet manner.

“In addressing the talks regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, our U.S. interlocutors are naturally free to publicly state whatever they deem fit to ward off special interest groups—actors that have historically influenced the agendas of past administrations,” Araghchi said, referencing growing discrepancies between U.S. officials’ public and private stances.

“Iran can only control what we Iranians do,” he continued. “And that is to avoid negotiating in public—especially considering the dissonance we are witnessing between U.S. statements from one week to the next.”

This concern was echoed by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei during his weekly press briefing on Monday. Responding to a question, Baghaei remarked: “The shifting positions of the American side is like a game of Snakes and Ladders. Every time we hold a negotiating session, we feel that some progress has been made and that at the very least, both sides are beginning to understand each other's perspectives. Unfortunately, as soon as the American delegation returns to Washington, they adopt entirely different positions.”

He added, “This recurring and repeated uncertainty makes any negotiation process extremely difficult and raises further doubts about whether the other side is truly serious in these talks. This is a question that the American side must answer.”