Iran has issued a stark warning to Donald Trump after tensions between the two powers reached new heights. Tehran has vowed to Washington that it will never give up on its nuclear programme after months of pressure on it to do so by the White House and its allies.
Declaring its nuclear mission will carry on even if war breaks out, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi issued a warning to the US: “Iran has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear programme and for uranium enrichment.” Just after his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman, the minister added: “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.
“I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others.
“They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers.”
Tehran has long claimed its nuclear programme is peaceful and is based around energy rather than weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency claimed they had a programme to seek a bomb up until 2003.
The US president has repeatedly tried to use force to get Iran to the table to agree on a nuclear deal.
Donald Trump claimed a “massive armada” in the Gulf led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was “ready, willing, and able” to carry out its mission “with speed and violence” if necessary.
Trump urged Tehran to return to talks and strike what he called a “fair and equitable deal” to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, warning that time was “truly of the essence”.
He also referenced a previous US military operation against Iran, saying any future strike would be “far worse”.
Despite the threats, Iran has continued its atomic work, reaching a milestone of 60% purity in its uranium enrichment programme, the only non-weapon state to reach the mark – although weapons-grade enrichment still requires 90%.
Despite the recent talks signalling progress had been made, Araghchi’s most recent remarks brought this into question.
After the Oman summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “Dialogue has always been our strategy for peaceful resolution. The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but it does not tolerate the language of force.”