Iran dismisses possibility of direct nuclear negotiations with US
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has asserted that Washington is not a trusted partner. He expressed that Iran is open to dialogue with the US, but emphasized that any discussions must be indirect and come with guarantees due to the prevailing...
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has asserted that Washington is not a trusted partner. He expressed that Iran is open to dialogue with the US, but emphasized that any discussions must be indirect and come with guarantees due to the prevailing lack of trust.
Negotiations between the two nations are scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday, initiated by US President Donald Trump, with the aim of addressing Tehran's nuclear program. Trump has characterized these discussions as direct, while Tehran has insisted that they will be indirect.
During a ceremony on Wednesday celebrating National Nuclear Technology Day, Pezeshkian stated that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will relay the instructions of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the talks.
“As the Supreme Leader has stated, the Islamic Republic is ready for engagement … but this engagement must be indirect, dignified, and accompanied by clear guarantees, because we still do not trust the other side,” according to a press release from the president's office.
Trump previously withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a multinational deal designed to restrict Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Upon resuming his presidency in January, he reinstated a policy of "maximum pressure," accusing Iran of striving to develop a nuclear weapon and imposing additional sanctions on the nation's oil sector.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful and has consistently condemned US sanctions as illegal and unjustified. In early March, Trump disclosed that he sent a letter to Khamenei, proposing new negotiations, coupled with a warning that if Tehran rejects this offer, it could face military action from the US “the likes of which it has never seen.”
In response to potential aggression, Iran has stated its readiness to act and reportedly put its military on high alert.
Pezeshkian maintained that Tehran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA, from which Washington withdrew unilaterally. “If they believe we have weakened and can be challenged, they are under a naïve illusion,” he remarked.
He also dismissed Western allegations that Iran is secretly working on a nuclear weapons program, despite what he noted were numerous inspections. “We are not pursuing nuclear weapons, and never have,” he asserted.
Concerns about Iran's nuclear activities were highlighted late last year when International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi reported that Iran had increased uranium enrichment to 60% purity, which is not far off from the weapons-grade level of around 90%.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Negotiations between the two nations are scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday, initiated by US President Donald Trump, with the aim of addressing Tehran's nuclear program. Trump has characterized these discussions as direct, while Tehran has insisted that they will be indirect.
During a ceremony on Wednesday celebrating National Nuclear Technology Day, Pezeshkian stated that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will relay the instructions of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the talks.
“As the Supreme Leader has stated, the Islamic Republic is ready for engagement … but this engagement must be indirect, dignified, and accompanied by clear guarantees, because we still do not trust the other side,” according to a press release from the president's office.
Trump previously withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a multinational deal designed to restrict Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Upon resuming his presidency in January, he reinstated a policy of "maximum pressure," accusing Iran of striving to develop a nuclear weapon and imposing additional sanctions on the nation's oil sector.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful and has consistently condemned US sanctions as illegal and unjustified. In early March, Trump disclosed that he sent a letter to Khamenei, proposing new negotiations, coupled with a warning that if Tehran rejects this offer, it could face military action from the US “the likes of which it has never seen.”
In response to potential aggression, Iran has stated its readiness to act and reportedly put its military on high alert.
Pezeshkian maintained that Tehran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA, from which Washington withdrew unilaterally. “If they believe we have weakened and can be challenged, they are under a naïve illusion,” he remarked.
He also dismissed Western allegations that Iran is secretly working on a nuclear weapons program, despite what he noted were numerous inspections. “We are not pursuing nuclear weapons, and never have,” he asserted.
Concerns about Iran's nuclear activities were highlighted late last year when International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi reported that Iran had increased uranium enrichment to 60% purity, which is not far off from the weapons-grade level of around 90%.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
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