Iran’s top diplomat strikes a hard line on US talks, saying Tehran’s power comes from saying ‘no’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s top diplomat insisted Sunday that Tehran’s strength comes from its ability to “say no to the big powers,” striking just the maximalist stance. After negotiations with the USA over its nuclear program and following nationwide protests.
Speaking to diplomats at the summit in Tehran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled that he would stick to his position that Iran should enrich uranium; This was a major point of contention with President Donald Trump. Bombed Iran’s atomic facilities During the Iran-Israel war, which lasted 12 days in June.
While Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian praised Friday’s talks with Americans in Oman as “a step forward,” Araghchi’s words indicate the difficult challenge ahead. The USA has already taken action aircraft carrier USS Abraham LincolnHe will send ships and warplanes to the Middle East to pressure Iran to make a deal and have the firepower necessary to strike the Islamic Republic if Trump chooses to do so.
“I believe that the secret of the strength of the Islamic Republic of Iran lies in its ability to stand up to the tyranny, domination and oppression of others,” Araghchi said. “Even though we are not after the atomic bomb, they are afraid of our atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers. The secret of the power of the Islamic Republic is the power to say no to the great powers.”
‘Atomic bomb’ as rhetorical device
Araghchi’s choice to explicitly use “atomic bomb” as a rhetorical device was probably not accidental. While Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful, the West and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Tehran had an organized military program to search for the bomb as far back as 2003.
Iran was enriching uranium to 60% purity; this was a short and technical step towards 90% weapons grade levels; It was the only non-weapons state to do so. In recent years, Iranian officials have also increasingly He threatened that the Islamic Republic might search for the bombAlthough diplomats have stated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s sermons were a binding fatwa, or religious edict, that Iran would not issue such a fatwa.
Pezeshkian, who ordered Araghchi to resume talks with the Americans, presumably after receiving Khamenei’s approval, also wrote about the talks in X on Sunday.
“The Iran-US talks, achieved through follow-up efforts by friendly governments in the region, were a step forward,” the president wrote. “Dialogue has always been our strategy for a peaceful solution. … The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but it cannot tolerate the language of force.”
It remains unclear when and where the second round of negotiations will be held, or whether they will be held at all. After the talks Friday, Trump offered few details but said: “Iran seems very interested in making a deal, as it should be.”
Aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea
During Friday’s talks, U.S. Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the American military’s Central Command, was in Oman. Cooper’s presence was likely a deliberate reminder to Iran of the US military presence in the region. Cooper was later accompanied by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Lincoln in the Arabian Sea After indirect negotiations
Araghchi appeared to take the threat of an American military strike seriously, as many Iranians have worried in recent weeks. He noted that after multiple rounds of negotiations last year, the United States “attacked us in the middle of negotiations.”
“If you step back (in the negotiations), it is not clear where it will lead,” Araghchi said.
