Kathmandu: Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has declared that diplomatic talks with the United States cannot resume unless Washington guarantees no further military attacks on Iran. In a Sunday interview with the BBC, Takht-Ravanchi said that while the US has signaled a willingness to return to dialogue, Iran is demanding a clear commitment against future aggression.

US-Iran Talks Stalled After Joint Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Takht-Ravanchi’s remarks follow the June 21 US bombing of three key Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—in coordination with Israeli forces. The strikes came amid renewed tensions and ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The deputy minister emphasized that the talks cannot proceed unless the US addresses a crucial question:

“Will we see a return to aggression when we engage in dialogue?”

He added, "The US needs to be very clear on this very important question."

Iran Rejects “Zero Enrichment” Policy
Speaking on uranium enrichment, Takht-Ravanchi insisted that Iran must retain its right to enrich uranium. “You can discuss the level, you can discuss the capacity,” he said, “but you can’t say zero enrichment—and if you don’t agree, we’ll bomb you. That’s the law of the jungle.”

Nuclear Program Remains a Flashpoint
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful energy production, while Israel and the US accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump, who ordered the airstrikes, has claimed that the Iranian sites were “totally destroyed,” though the actual extent of the damage remains unclear.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, has warned that Iran could resume high-level enrichment “within months”. Iran, however, denies intentions to build nuclear weapons, and Takht-Ravanchi said he did not know how long it would take to produce weapons-grade material.

Background: Collapse of the 2015 Nuclear Deal
The 2015 Iran nuclear deal had capped uranium enrichment at 3.67%, sufficient for civilian use. But after the US unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iran increased enrichment levels to 60%, edging closer to the 90% weapons-grade threshold. Experts suggest this stockpile, if further refined, could be enough for more than nine nuclear bombs.

As tensions mount, the path to renewed diplomacy appears uncertain—hinging on whether the US can offer credible assurances that dialogue will not be followed by further conflict.