Name: Iran’s Araghchi slams European powers for ‘irrelevance’ in nuclear talks
Uploaded: 2026-02-15T21:31:12.000Z
Duration: 9 min 25 s
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Now a US delegation will preside over talks and tensions with Iran as well as the war in Ukraine.

On Tuesday in Geneva, the news comes as day three of the Munich Security Conference is underway.

European leaders have been discussing ways to bolster defense and establish the continent as an autonomous global power.

The discussions come as concerns grow that Russia still poses a long term threat to Europe.

Iran wasn't invited to the Munich Security Conference.

In a post on X, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchee has criticized Europe for its policies towards Tehran, saying it is sad to see the usually serious Munich Security Conference turned into the Munich Circus.

Once a key interlocutor, Europe is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, our friends in the region are far more effective and helpful than an empty handed and peripheral E3.

Abbas Aslani is a senior Research fellow at the center for Middle East Strategic Studies.

The Munich Security Conference is now the Munich Circus, says Abbas Ragchee, in which the likes of Berlin, he says, have surrendered to regional policy to Israel and the powers that help broker the past nuclear deal.

The UK, France and Germany are now peripheral and paralyzed.

This indicates Iran's dissatisfactions with the role that Europeans once played as a facilitator now shifting to spoiler in terms of any diplomatic process with Iran.

And this also indicates that the nuclear mediation has been moving from Europe to West Asia whereby regional players are doing the heavy lifting of the diplomatic process.

They are contributing to the process as well.

And that so called E3 mechanism now seems to not to be a viable channel for resolution.

And this indicates that also the relations between Iran and Europe are not in good terms.

And Iran had earlier said that this will have consequences including, you know, the irrelevance of Europe to any diplomatic efforts in relation to Tehran.

So that's why I think we had the reaction from even a foreign minister specifically at the moment that Iran is entering a new round of negotiations with the United States in Geneva.

Let's talk about all the military pressure that's building the region because on Friday Donald Trump said change in power in Iran, quote, would be the best thing that could happen.

I mean, he seems to be maintaining multiple positions simultaneously.

Negotiator in chief on the one hand, commander in chief of the largest army on the planet on the other hand.

Is this just a serious threat or is this, sorry, is this, is this a serious threat in Iran's mind or is it just psychological pressure.

It seems to be aiming to somehow impacting the calculus here in Tehran in order to coerce Tehran into an agreement with American terms.

But in the meantime, as I said, yes, multiple positions are being heard from the American side.

And the most difficult, you know, issue here in the process seems to be the heavy canopy of uncertainty which has been casting down over the negotiating table.

Because these policy shifts, you know, coming from the American side has been exacerbating the situation, making Iran doubtful if the US Is genuinely seeking diplomacy with Iran or not.

But, you know, this military buildup in the region cannot last for long.

So they aim to put pressure or unless if it does fail to, you know, achieve those American terms at the negotiating table, maybe turn into another military aggression against the country, which was the case back in June 2025.

With the US delegation, we know to be led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arriving on Tuesday, what do you think is the single most important concession that Tehran needs to be able to show it's capable of, of making in order to stay at the negotiating table?

Well, the most important issues which we can think of is that issues related to the nuclear technicalities, including the enrichment issues as well as the highly enriched uranium stockpile, can be addressed at the negotiating table.

in terms of concessions and concessions, I'm interested, interested in one thing which we have been recently hearing from Iranian officials is related to the enrichment level.

They have been saying that they are open to transparency or a, let's say, a so called reassuring agreement with the United States about the level of enrichment.

This indicates that Tehran is saying that it's confident about the nature of its nuclear activities.

So it has no fear or it is not concerned to reach a kind of agreement on the level of nuclear enrichment with the United States.

But we have been hearing a lot about this.

What we have not been hearing been hearing is that what the United States is willing to offer also what Iran gets in return is also significant, specifically in terms of removing the sanctions, not just removing the shadow of the war, but

so I was hearing from Iranian sources that they will be going to Geneva with specific questions and also initiatives in relation to nuclear activities as well as the lifting of the sanctions.

And, you know, the mixture of the team will be including, you know, political, legal, technical as well as economic officials present in the team in order to address diverse range of issues.

But the most specific ones will be the nuclear activities as well as the lifting of the sanctions.

Okay, so they're sending a highly relevant and highly experienced team into this next phase of negotiations.

None of that changes the possibility of another aircraft carrier strike force entering the region.

We're talking about 10,000 military personnel, 90 fixed wing aircraft courted by three destroyers, a nuclear powered submarine, all of it bristling with Tomahawk missiles.

I mean, it's extraordinary to think of the military hardware that's already there.

We've already got the USS Abraham Lincoln with a similar number of personnel.

I wonder if Iran maintains its ballistic missile capabilities are non negotiable, is there absolutely any scenario, such as for instance regional security guarantees where Iran might shift its position, contrary to what we have been hearing in the rhetoric of the American officials?

What I'm hearing is that missile issue as well as the regional matters are off the table for Iran.

Ballistic missile issue is a national security matter as far as a war and a military option is the matter of survival for the Islamic Republic.

Also, the ballistic missiles is related to existential battle, part of for survival.

So if Iran makes compromises in relation to ballistic missiles, that will be similar to committing suicide out of the fear of death.

So that's why Iran is insisting that that is a red line for Iran.

And even, you know, the dangers of such a compromise could be much more devastating for the country even than compared to a military war.

So that's why we are hearing from Iranian officials yet that the scope is on the limit to the nuclear matter.

And this is something which Americans also accepted before coming to Muscat.

And those contradictory statements or remarks from American officials are not, you know, in, you know, in accordance to what Iranian negotiators are hearing from the American negotiators.

So if you know, they keep the same, you know, procedure that they had in negotiating room, we can be a bit hopeful.

Unless, you know, this policy shifts will not be that much helpful.

Abbas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the center for Middle East Strategic Studies joining us from Tehran.

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