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Iran is signaling its openness to diplomatic engagement while also maintaining a posture of readiness to defend itself if necessary, stated Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday. He asserted that Tehran’s resilience is rooted in its ability to withstand external pressures.
“We are advocates of diplomacy, yet we are equally prepared for conflict—not in pursuit of war, but to ensure that no one dares to provoke us,” Araghchi remarked, as reported by Press TV, Iran’s government-operated English-language network.
These comments were delivered in Tehran during the National Congress on the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Policy, occurring just two days following nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman.
Fox News previously revealed that these discussions in Muscat, the Omani capital, were conducted face-to-face. This marked the first direct meetings since the U.S. targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prior to the U.S.-Iran discussions in Muscat, Oman, on February 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the talks as “intensive and lengthy” in a post on X, saying the meetings allowed both sides to present their positions and concerns.
“It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,” the government account said.
It added there was broad agreement on continuing the negotiations, though decisions on timing, format and the next round will be made following consultations in the two capitals, with Oman continuing to serve as the intermediary.
Araghchi said Sunday that Iran views its nuclear program as a legitimate right and is seeking recognition of that position through negotiations.
“I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others,” he said, according to Press TV.
“They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers,” the top diplomat added. “The secret of the Islamic Republic’s power is to say no to the powers.”
A map created by Fox News shows U.S. naval vessels are positioned across key waterways in the Middle East, from the eastern Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, as part of an expanded American military presence in the region. (Fox News / USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker)
President Donald Trump has expanded the U.S. military presence in the Middle East, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Michael Murphy, a guided-missile destroyer.
Other U.S. naval assets, including the USS Bulkeley, USS Roosevelt, USS Delbert D. Black, USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., are positioned across key waterways surrounding Iran, from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.