Iran will only enter direct talks with the US when both countries are on an equal footing and the Trump administration stops its “pressure and threats” on the Islamic Republic, a top Iranian official said.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister and a former nuclear negotiator, made the comments in an interview printed in the state-run Iran newspaper on Thursday.

Tehran has repeatedly said it will not negotiate under “maximum pressure.” The policy, reinstated by President Donald Trump on his return to the White House in January, saw him reimpose sweeping sanctions on Iran during his first term after abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The JCPOA, signed between Iran and major world powers, had offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

Araghchi also said that he was discussing a “new idea” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that could resolve outstanding issues related to Iran’s nuclear activity.

On Wednesday, UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash delivered a letter from Trump to Iran during a visit to Tehran. Last week, Trump said he had written to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, urging new nuclear talks while warning of possible military action if Tehran refused.