Tehran is willing to talk, but not as though the past two years never happened. That was the blunt message delivered Monday by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, who told his weekly press briefing that Iran remains open to nuclear negotiations with the United States — while flatly rejecting any notion that diplomacy can simply reset to its starting point.
"We will never go back to square one," Baghaei said, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. "Can you ignore the experiences of the past two years and then say that we are back to square one? Every day that passes, we will definitely use its experience, both in terms of strengthening our own capabilities and in terms of learning from the other side's lapses."
Diplomacy "as important as the battlefield"
Baghaei framed the position as one of confidence rather than retreat. Tehran has not walked away from the negotiating table, he insisted — it simply refuses to pretend that the table is in the same place it was two years ago. "We are so confident that we will never run away from the negotiating table and diplomacy," he said. "Diplomacy is as important to us as the battlefield and war. We will definitely use the tools of diplomacy, wherever necessary and wherever possible, to secure our interests."
The remarks, reported by Türkiye Today and Open Magazine, also confirmed that Tehran is reviewing US proposals for renewed negotiations — with Pakistan and Qatar continuing to mediate between the two sides, according to a report by Anadolu Agency.
Blaming the other side for the breakdown
Baghaei left no ambiguity about where Tehran believes the blame lies for the collapse of previous diplomatic efforts. "The party that should be solely blamed and held accountable for this situation is the party that destroyed the negotiating table in the middle of the negotiations and continues to insist on its previous excesses," he said. "How can one claim to negotiate and be diplomatic, while they have escalated the economic war, have practically maintained the conditions of war, and then claim that they are seeking negotiations?"
The argument is that military pressure and sanctions — which he described as an intensifying "economic war" — are incompatible with genuine negotiation. For Tehran, any credible diplomatic process must acknowledge what Iran views as broken commitments by the other side over the past two years, a period that has included some of the most intense US-Iranian confrontation in decades.
The NPT question
Baghaei also rejected Western concerns about debate inside Iran over a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, signalling that Tehran sees its treaty membership as a subject of its own domestic deliberation rather than a concession to be offered in talks.
Sanctions: the pressure behind the posture
Baghaei's accusation of an "economic war" points to the sanctions architecture that remains the main US lever over Iran. Washington has kept sweeping restrictions on Iranian oil exports, banking, and shipping in place, even as indirect contacts have continued through intermediaries. Tehran's argument is that the squeeze was tightened rather than relaxed while diplomatic channels were being tested — a contradiction that, in Baghaei's telling, reveals the other side's lack of seriousness.
That framing also helps explain the "square one" line. In 2015, the JCPOA deal capped Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief; the US withdrawal in 2018 and the years of escalation since have, from Tehran's perspective, made the old terms obsolete. Any new agreement, Baghaei is saying, must start from where the two countries actually are — not where they were when the last deal was signed.
What this means for the region
The comments land against a backdrop of sharply heightened Middle East tensions. Washington and Tehran have been locked in confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has faced attacks and disruption, and over Yemen, where the weekend's Houthi strikes on Saudi airports have drawn Iranian-linked escalation back into the headlines. Iran's foreign minister has separately been offering mediation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, positioning Tehran as both a party to regional conflicts and a would-be broker in resolving them.
That duality — pressure and diplomacy at once — is exactly what Baghaei's "diplomacy is as important as the battlefield" line captures. Whether Washington sees it as an opening or as posturing will determine if the table Baghaei insists Iran never left can actually produce a deal.
Related reading: Iran lays out seven conditions in the Hormuz standoff · Oil prices surge on Hormuz shipping disruption · Iran's foreign minister offers mediation in Saudi-Houthi talks
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Iran say about nuclear talks on October 12, 2026?
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran remains open to nuclear negotiations with the United States, is reviewing US proposals, and will never walk away from diplomacy — but rejected restarting talks "from square one," insisting the past two years of confrontation and what Tehran calls broken commitments must be factored into any deal.
Who is mediating between Iran and the US?
According to reporting by Anadolu Agency, Pakistan and Qatar continue to serve as mediators between Washington and Tehran in efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy.
Why does Iran say it won't go "back to square one"?
Tehran argues that the past two years — marked by escalated US sanctions, military pressure, and the collapse of prior negotiations — changed the realities on the ground. Baghaei said Iran has used that time to strengthen its capabilities and learn from the other side's "lapses," and any agreement must reflect that.
Is Iran considering leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
There has been debate inside Iran over possible NPT withdrawal, but Baghaei rejected framing it as a Western concern, presenting Iran's treaty position as a domestic matter rather than a bargaining chip.
