Iranian FM says 'aggression' must halt for diplomacy to resume

ISTANBUL - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Saturday in Istanbul that while diplomacy "can work in the future" as it has in the past, "aggression must stop" for talks to resume, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Araghchi made the remarks during his attendance at a foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Turkiye. According to Anadolu, Araghchi affirmed Iran's "absolute" readiness for a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue, drawing parallels to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran signed the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Recalling the agreement, Araghchi said, "This was the result of two years of negotiations, and when we signed the agreement, the whole world celebrated it."

On a potential US intervention in its conflict with Israel, Araghchi said the US involvement would be "extremely dangerous" for everyone.

The ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict started last week, when Israel launched a series of large-scale airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several top commanders and nuclear scientists. In response, Iran retaliated overnight with missile and drone strikes on Israeli territory.