Masoud Pezeshkian said that a “wall of distrust” created by the West and excessive U.S. demands are impeding progress in nuclear talks with Washington….reports Asian Lite news
Iran said a “wall of distrust” created by the West is hindering nuclear talks with the US, reaffirming its readiness for diplomacy on its nuclear program while vowing not to compromise on its defence capabilities.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at celebrations in Tehran for the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said that a “wall of distrust” created by the West and excessive U.S. demands are impeding progress in nuclear talks with Washington.
“We believe that the region’s problems can be resolved only by regional countries, not foreign states,” he said, adding that Iran will never surrender to excessive demands and aggression.
During the nationwide celebrations, participants marched in cities across Iran, reaffirmed their allegiance to the national establishment, and condemned the “aggressive, destabilizing and criminal” policies of the United States and Israel, which they blame for regional insecurity.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and transformed Iran into an Islamic republic.
Also attending the Wednesday celebrations in the capital, Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran’s missile capability is a red line and a non-negotiable issue.
According to a report by Iran’s Nour News, Shamkhani said any military attack, even limited, will be considered the start of a war, the consequence of which will “reach a scope beyond the military dimension” and “affect the lives of people in different parts of the world.”
Meanwhile, another report by Nour News, citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, said that Iran is willing to discuss the level of its uranium enrichment and the amount of its stockpile, only if its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are truly respected.
Separately, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state-run Al-Alam news channel on Wednesday that consultations are underway to determine the date of the next round of indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.
Larijani said the U.S. side appears willing to move the negotiations towards a solution, but it is not possible yet to make a complete judgment, adding that the date of the next round will be announced following the consultations.
Larijani met the same day in Doha with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. Their discussions addressed the recent U.S.-Iran talks, with the Qatari leader reaffirming Doha’s support for peaceful solutions to enhance regional security and stability.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told Russia Today that he believes Iran and the United States can strike a nuclear deal better than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in July 2015.
“I have been in the nuclear negotiations business in the past 20 years. I know that it is achievable,” he said.
The Iranian side is working on a “doable plan or proposal” capable of guaranteeing that there will be no nuclear weapons while safeguarding Iran’s rights to peaceful use of nuclear technology, he noted.
He reiterated that Iran will not negotiate on its missile program or regional alliances, adding, “We only negotiate about our nuclear program with the United States.”
Tehran and Washington held their initial round of indirect talks on Friday in the Omani capital Muscat, amid simmering tensions between the two sides in view of Washington’s military buildup near Iran.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East for possible military actions against Iran if negotiations fail. ■
Meanwhile, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said negotiations between Tehran and Washington could advance and protect mutual interests if they are grounded in realism and avoid excessive demands.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Defense Council, made the remarks in an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera, while commenting on the renewed indirect nuclear negotiations between his country and the US, the first round of which was held in Oman on Feb. 6.
Shamkhani said that refraining from actions and movements that could negatively affect the stability and security of West Asia is a logical and rational path for all sides involved, adding that diplomatic measures in the region are aimed at de-escalating tensions and strengthening political solutions.
He stressed that Iran’s missile program is among the country’s red lines and non-negotiable, warning that Iran will give a “strong, decisive and appropriate” response to any potential adventurism against the country.
He said Israel cannot attack Iran without U.S. support, emphasizing that Iran’s level of military readiness is high, raising the costs of any miscalculation by any side against the country.
His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington and a U.S. military buildup in the region, despite recent diplomatic efforts
EU’s Hostile Stance
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned Europe’s hostile approach toward Tehran, saying that Europe, once a “key interlocutor” in nuclear talks, has been replaced by Iran’s “effective and helpful” friends in West Asia.
“This decline, with performance preferred over substance, holds important messages,” Araghchi posted on social media platform X. It shows that the European Union (EU) is unable to understand what is happening in Iran and has strategically lost its geopolitical weight in the West Asia region, he said.
Araghchi said that the “paralysis and irrelevance” of the EU and the E3 nations — France, Britain, and Germany — are evident in the dynamics of the current U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.
“Once a key interlocutor, Europe is now nowhere to be seen. Instead, our friends in the region are far more effective and helpful than an empty-handed and peripheral E3,” he said.
On Jan. 29, the EU added Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps to the bloc’s terrorist list, a decision Iran strongly condemned later in the day as “hostile and provocative.”
In another development, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud over phone to discuss regional developments and de-escalation efforts.
The call addressed the situation in Gaza, with both sides urging implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire plan and expressing support for the newly-formed Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, read a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Both sides called for the rapid deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire, secure humanitarian access, and facilitate early reconstruction, while preserving the unity of the Palestinian territories, read the statement.
Regarding the developments in Sudan, both sides emphasized the need to intensify efforts toward a humanitarian truce as a prelude to a comprehensive ceasefire and a Sudanese-owned political process, while preserving Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity, read the statement.
On Red Sea security, both ministers stressed the importance of increased coordination among coastal states to safeguard this vital maritime corridor and ensure the freedom of international navigation and trade, read the statement.
