Iran: Negoziati USA-Iran, Teheran non cede su nucleare e missili

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has questioned the United States’ commitment to resuming nuclear negotiations with Iran, stating that a date for new talks has not yet been announced. “The imposition of new sanctions and certain military actions raise doubts about the seriousness and willingness of the other side to conduct genuine negotiations,” Araghchi said during a public event in Tehran, adding that his country “will evaluate all signals and decide whether to continue negotiations.”

“The Iran-United States talks, held Friday in Oman with the support of friendly governments in the region, represented a step forward,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated, emphasizing: “Dialogue has always been our strategy for a peaceful resolution of disputes. We reject coercion and respect international law regarding our nuclear program.” “The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but will not tolerate the language of force,” Pezeshkian added in a post on his X account.

Iran will not relinquish its uranium enrichment on its territory “even if war is imposed upon us.” This was stated by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who also serves as the chief negotiator in the resumed nuclear talks with the United States. “Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to abandon it even if war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our actions,” warned the top Iranian diplomat, who met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman on Friday for a new round of indirect negotiations. “The cornerstone of the post-revolutionary Constitution is independence, which does not allow for foreign influence. The Islamic Republic of Iran has paid a high price for its peaceful nuclear program. No one has the right to tell us what we should and should not have,” he said at a public event in Tehran, as reported by the Mehr news agency. “If there are questions or uncertainties about enrichment, we will answer them,” he continued, warning that Tehran does not want anyone to recognize its right to the nuclear program, “because this right is official.” “We want it to be respected instead,” he concluded, assuring that the Islamic Republic “is not pursuing the nuclear bomb” and recalling that “the secret of its strength lies in saying ‘no’ to the great powers.”

The U.S. military deployment in the Gulf “does not frighten us,” assured the Iranian Foreign Minister, two days after nuclear talks with Washington, which continues to pressure the Islamic Republic. “Their military deployment in the region does not frighten us,” Araghchi said, the day after the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy to the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf region. “We are a diplomatic nation, we are also a nation of war, but that does not mean we are seeking war,” Araghchi added at a public event in Tehran.

Nothing will stop Iran’s uranium enrichment, “not even in the event of war,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. American military pressure “does not intimidate” the Islamic Republic, he added. “Diplomacy is the only way forward but it only succeeds when it recognizes our inherent rights and when there is dialogue rather than threats, pressure or coercion,” Araghchi added. “We do not ask permission from anyone and are not intimidated by the military threats of the United States in the Persian Gulf,” he said. “Our nation is a nation of diplomacy and war, but that does not mean we are seeking war,” he concluded, as quoted by Irna.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described the nuclear negotiations resumed with the United States as “a step forward,” but reiterated that Tehran will not give up uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. “These talks were a step forward. Dialogue has always been our strategy for resolving problems peacefully,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X. The Iranian president also reaffirmed his country’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), rejecting U.S. demands for a halt to enrichment on Iranian territory. Pezeshkian also dismissed the threatening tone of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly warned that if Tehran does not sign an agreement, he will take military action. “The Iranian people always respond to respect with respect, but will not tolerate the language of force,” Pezeshkian warned. Iran and the United States resumed indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat, Oman, on Friday. Both sides have described the talks as “positive.” The talks take place at one of the most difficult moments for the Islamic Republic, following the massive protests in January and Trump’s threats to intervene militarily over the harsh repression carried out by the regime.

Iran has arrested prominent political activist Ghorban Behzadian-Nejad for a manifesto critical of the Islamic Republic, following the brutal repression of the anti-government protests in January, and calling for the formation of a constituent assembly to overthrow the regime. Behzadian-Nejad was arrested at his home in Tehran, according to the reformist daily Shargh. Behzadian-Nejad, an advisor to Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of the 2009 Green Movement, who has been under house arrest for 15 years, was one of the signatories of the document known as the “Declaration of 17,” published at the end of January. The manifesto calls for a “free and transparent” referendum, the formation of a constituent assembly, the end of the Islamic Republic, and supports the recent protests. Last week, Iranian authorities arrested three other signatories of the declaration, including screenwriter Mehdi Mahmoudyan, an Oscar nominee for Jafar Panahi’s film ‘A Simple Incident.’ Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni were also arrested along with him. Other signatories of the manifesto include Panahi himself, currently in the United States promoting the film at the Oscars; colleague Mohammad Rasoulof, a refugee in Germany; Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, currently in prison; and Sakharov Prize winner Nasrin Sotoudeh. The document attributes the responsibility for the death of thousands of people in the protests that began in December due to the collapse of the national currency, but which soon spread throughout the country calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The street movement was repressed in blood with thousands of victims and a prolonged blackout of communications imposed by the authorities. The regime has acknowledged the death of 3,117 people; however, human rights organizations such as Hrana, based in the United States, have ascertained the killing of 6,961 and are working to verify more than another 11,600 possible deaths; arrests are estimated at around 51,000.

U.S. President Donald Trump has taken an unconventional step in American diplomacy by involving military commanders in talks regarding the war between Iran and Russia. According to Ukrinform, citing ABC News, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, General Brad Cooper, participated in talks between the United States and Iran in Oman regarding the nuclear program. The U.S. Army Secretary, Dan Driscoll, participated in talks on the war in Ukraine and maintained contact with Ukrainian officials between meetings. Both diplomatic tracks are coordinated by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Experts say the military’s involvement breaks with traditional U.S. diplomatic approaches and also demonstrates the administration’s willingness to consider tougher options. A second round of trilateral talks involving delegations from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5. Following the talks, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, stated that the delegations discussed unresolved issues in detail over the two days, including the modalities for implementing a ceasefire and monitoring the cessation of hostilities.