Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says missiles ‘never negotiable’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that his country will not negotiate over its ballistic missile program, rejecting a basic American demand and further reducing the chances of reaching an agreement.

He warned again in an interview with The island Tehran, Iran, will target American bases in the Middle East if provoked, calling Iranian missile program “Never negotiable.”

The warnings came as US and Iranian negotiators met in early February in Amman, even as Washington continues to build up military forces across the region — a stance US officials say is intended to deter further escalation, but analysts say also highlights how far apart the two sides are.

Despite the imbalance in military power, analysts say Iran believes it can withstand US pressure by signaling greater resolve — and by betting that Washington’s appetite for war is limited.

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While the United States has enormous military capabilities, Rosemary Kelanic, a defense priorities analyst, said Iran relies on the logic of asymmetric conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that his country will not negotiate over its ballistic missile program, rejecting a basic American demand and further reducing the chances of reaching an agreement. (Wahid Salmi/AFP)

“One country is much stronger, but the weaker country cares more,” Kelanik said. “And historically, the country that cares more often wins by holding out more than the stronger country.”

She added: “Iran is trying to signal resolve as hard as it can, but it likely doubts the resolve of the United States — because from Tehran’s perspective, the risks for Iran are existential, while the risks for the United States are not.”

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Behnam Talibloo, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Tehran’s primary leverage is its ability to threaten broader regional instability, even if it cannot win a protracted conflict.

“The Islamic Republic’s leverage is the threat of a region-wide war,” Taliblu said, noting that while American and Israeli defenses could intercept most attacks, “something will get hit.”

Iran is buying time

Analysts across the spectrum agree that Iran is using negotiations more as a way to delay decisive action than to reach a settlement.

Oren Kessler, an analyst at global consulting firm Wikistrat, said Iran was using the talks to stabilize its position internally while avoiding making concessions on core security issues.

“Both sides want to reach an agreement, but their red lines are very difficult for the other side to overcome,” Kessler said. “The talks are going well, in the sense that they are taking place, but in reality they are not going anywhere.”

Taliblu echoed this assessment, saying that Tehran treats diplomacy as a shield, not a solution.

He added, “The regime treats negotiations as a lifeline and not a means to solve the basic problem.”

Taliblu added that the Iranian leadership sees the talks as a way to deter any strike in the short term, weaken internal opposition in the medium term, and ultimately secure sanctions relief to stabilize its economy.

In this frame from video obtained by the Associated Press outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a photo of Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (User generated content via AP)

Minister of State Marco Rubio Iran has insisted that restrictions on Iranian ballistic missiles must be part of any agreement to avoid military action.

“At the end of the day, the United States is willing to deal, and has always been willing, to deal with Iran,” Rubio said in early February. “For the talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and this includes the range of their ballistic missiles. This includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations throughout the region. This includes the nuclear program. This includes the treatment of their own people,” he added.

Anti-government protests that began at the beginning of 2026 led to a brutal crackdown in Iran. The regime acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed in connection with the demonstrations, although human rights groups and Iranian resistance organizations estimate the death toll to be much higher.

The United States also called on Iran to give up all of its stockpiles of enriched uranium, which can be used for civilian energy at low levels but to produce nuclear weapons at higher concentrations.

Araqchi told Al Jazeera that Iran is ready to negotiate on this Nuclear issues But he insisted that enrichment was an “inalienable right” and “must continue.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared in the photo sitting next to a senior military official in Iran. (Getty Images)

“We are ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment,” he said. He added, “The Iranian nuclear issue will only be resolved through negotiations.”

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Monday that Tehran would consider diluting its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium — a level close to weapons grade — but only in exchange for the lifting of all sanctions.

As the negotiations unfolded, the United States continued to expand its military presence in the Middle East.

In late January, the United States sent an aircraft carrier strike group aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the northern Arabian Sea, accompanied by multiple destroyers and other naval assets. Additional F-15E attack aircraft and air defense systems have also been repositioned at bases throughout the region, along with thousands of US troops.

Talipello said the administration may use diplomacy to buy its own time.

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He added: “A good explanation is that the president is buying time, transferring assets, strengthening missile defense, and preparing military options.” “A less charitable explanation is that the United States considers Iranian threats to be highly credible and is still chasing the optics of a deal.”

In 2025, five rounds of talks were similarly stalled by US demands that Iran abandon uranium enrichment entirely – talks that eventually collapsed into Operation Midnight Hammer, an operation US-led bombing campaign Against Iranian nuclear facilities.