Iran announced on Thursday that it would respond to US President Donald Trump's letter of “threats and opportunities” in due time, but reiterated that there would be no direct negotiations under pressure and sanctions.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the statement amid continuing diplomatic efforts to hold talks about Tehran's nuclear capabilities, at a time when Iran has faced setbacks in the Middle East, with a series of blows to its key allies.
Mr Araghchi acknowledged that Iran is experiencing its most challenging period since the eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s but vowed that the nation would make a strong comeback, armed with “invaluable experience” from recent events.
Mr Trump has said he wants to negotiate with Iran rather than resort to military means. After relaunching his "maximum pressure" campaign, he sent a letter to Iran's leadership, urging Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear deal.
"Iran’s policy is clear: under pressure and sanctions, we will certainly not engage in direct negotiations. Negotiations must take place from a position of equality,” Mr Araghchi told local media. “We are prepared for threats and war, but this does not mean we seek war,” he added.
He said Mr Trump’s letter, which was delivered earlier this month during a visit to Tehran by Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, “is under review, and there is no rush to respond. A reply will be sent through appropriate channels in due time."
Iran has regularly denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. However, it is "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the 90 per cent-purity needed for nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned.
On Thursday, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions targeting a network supporting Iran's oil exports. The sanctions include designations of new individuals and entities involved in facilitating these exports, and aim to disrupt Iran's financial channels.
According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr Trump’s letter carries “more of a threatening tone, though it also claims to present opportunities. We are carefully assessing all its aspects, and our response will take into account both the threats and potential opportunities”.
"As martyr Suleimani put it: within every threat lies an opportunity. God willing, we will also consider these opportunities and choose the right path.”
As head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas operations arm, the Quds Force, Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani was the architect of Iran's “axis of resistance” in the region. He was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020 during Mr Trump’s first term as US President.
The "axis of resistance", which provides Tehran with significant influence across the Middle East, has been significantly weakened over the past six months after the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah lost its leadership and more than half of its weapons in its conflict with Israel, and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the only state in the anti-US and anti-Israel alliance.
"It was a very difficult year,” stated Mr Araghchi, but added that this year will serve “as a greater launchpad for the nation”.
"We suffered setbacks, but we gained invaluable experiences,” he added.