DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s prime diplomat insisted Sunday that Tehran’s power got here from its potential to “say no to the nice powers,” hanging a maximalist place simply after negotiations with america over its nuclear program and within the wake of nationwide protests.
International Minister Abbas Araghchi, chatting with diplomats at a summit in Tehran, signaled that Iran would persist with its place that it should have the ability to enrich uranium — a serious level of competition with President Donald Trump, who bombed Iranian atomic websites in June throughout the 12-day Iran-Israel struggle.
Whereas Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the talks Friday in Oman with the People as “a step ahead,” Araghchi’s remarks present the problem forward. Already, the U.S. moved the plane provider USS Abraham Lincoln, ships and warplanes to the Center East to strain Iran into an settlement and have the firepower essential to strike the Islamic Republic ought to Trump select to take action.
“I imagine the key of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s energy lies in its potential to face in opposition to bullying, domination and pressures from others,” Araghchi mentioned. “They concern our atomic bomb, whereas we’re not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the facility to say no to the nice powers. The key of the Islamic Republic’s energy is within the energy to say no to the powers.”
‘Atomic bomb’ as rhetorical system
Araghchi’s option to explicitly use an “atomic bomb” as a rhetorical system seemingly wasn’t unintended. Whereas Iran has lengthy maintained its nuclear program is peaceable, the West and the Worldwide Atomic Power Company say Tehran had an organized army program to hunt the bomb up till 2003.
Iran had been enriching uranium as much as 60% purity, a brief, technical step to weapons-grade ranges of 90%, the one non-weapons state to take action. Iranian officers lately had additionally been more and more threatening that the Islamic Republic might search the bomb, even whereas its diplomats have pointed to Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s preachings as a binding fatwa, or spiritual edict, that Iran wouldn’t construct one.
Pezeshkian, who ordered Araghchi to pursue talks with the People after seemingly getting Khamenei’s blessing, additionally wrote on X on Sunday concerning the talks.
“The Iran-U.S. talks, held by way of the follow-up efforts of pleasant governments within the area, had been a step ahead,” the president wrote. “Dialogue has all the time been our technique for peaceable decision. … The Iranian nation has all the time responded to respect with respect, nevertheless it doesn’t tolerate the language of pressure.”
It stays unclear when and the place, or if, there can be a second spherical of talks. Trump, after the talks Friday, supplied few particulars however mentioned: “Iran appears to be like like they wish to make a deal very badly — as they need to.”
Plane provider within the Arabian Sea
Throughout Friday’s talks, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, the pinnacle of the American army’s Central Command, was in Oman. Cooper’s presence was seemingly an intentional reminder to Iran concerning the U.S. army presence within the area. Cooper later accompanied U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, to the Lincoln out within the Arabian Sea after the oblique negotiations.
Araghchi gave the impression to be taking the specter of an American army strike critically, as many frightened Iranians have in current weeks. He famous that after a number of rounds of talks final 12 months, the U.S. “attacked us within the midst of negotiations.”
“In case you take a step again (in negotiations), it’s not clear as much as the place it would go,” Araghchi mentioned.
