Iran on Sunday restated its stance amid renewed nuclear talks with the United States, with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi making it clear that Tehran will not give up uranium enrichment or bow to military pressure from Washington.
He also dismissed the US military buildup in the Middle East, including the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, saying, "Their military deployment in the region does not scare us" .
Araghchi was speaking at a forum in Tehran, when he said that Iran had little trust in the US and questioned whether Washington was genuinely committed to negotiations, reported AFP.
‘No one has the right to dictate our behaviour’
Araghchi ruled out any compromise on uranium enrichment, framing it as a matter of sovereignty rather than strategy.
"Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour," Araghchi said at the forum.
The comments came days after Iran and the United States reopened negotiations in Oman on Friday. This marks first such talks since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June last year, a conflict the US briefly joined.
{{/usCountry}}The comments came days after Iran and the United States reopened negotiations in Oman on Friday. This marks first such talks since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June last year, a conflict the US briefly joined.
{{/usCountry}}Iran is seeking relief from sweeping US economic sanctions in return for its limited steps on the nuclear front. At the forum, the foreign minister said that the country could offer "a series of confidence-building measures concerning the nuclear programme".
Araghachi, however, added that ongoing “sanctions and military actions raise doubts about the seriousness and readiness of the other side (United States) to conduct genuine negotiations,” the AFP report added.
On atomic bomb
Amid the talks, Araghchi said Tehran was also coordinating with its key allies and "strategic partners" China and Russia about the negotiations with Washington.
"They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not looking for one. Our atomic bomb is the power to say 'no' to the great powers," Araghchi said.
Western countries and Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state, accuse Iran of seeking an atomic bomb, a claim Tehran has consistently denied.
Meanwhile, the United States and Israel want the negotiations to go beyond the nuclear issue. The Trump administration is seeking to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for armed groups across the region, under the ambit of discussion.
Iran has repeatedly refused to include these subjects in the talks.
The latest diplomatic push has unfolded after an intensified crackdown reportedly by the Iranian government following anti-regime protests across the coutry.
Trump's military push
While maintaining a diplomatic front, Donald Trump has doubled down on its military posture. US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), cited by AFP.
The fleet, dubbed an “armada” by Trump, was sent to the region weeks ago as part of a broader military build-up and is reportedly positioned in the Gulf.
Despite Trump calling the Oman talks “very good” and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian saying they “constitute a step forward”, pressure on Tehran has continued.
Following the first round of talks, Trump signed an executive order imposing fresh tariffs on countries still trading with Iran. The US also announced new sanctions targeting shipping entities and vessels involved in Iran’s oil exports.
(With AFP inputs)