TEHRAN As Iran and the United States prepare to hear each others gripes during indirect Oman-mediated negotiations on Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian told a number of officials gathered to celebrate Irans nuclear achievements that the country has no intention of developing nukes but wont relinquish its impressive progress in the field either.We seek peace and security, and we are open to dialogue but based on dignity and pride, Pezeshkian said on Wednesday during a ceremony marking Irans National Nuclear Technology Day.
We will not back down from our achievements, nor will we compromise on them, and we will never allow anyone to prevent us from thinking or to prevent us from being innovative and creative, he added.The West says Iran wants to produce nuclear bombs.
Who is more authoritative than Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who has officially and publicly declared that we are not seeking to build nuclear bombs? You've verified it a hundred times, and you can verify it a thousand times more, but know this: we need nuclear science and nuclear energy in all fields, the president stressed.Observers do not know what to expect from the upcoming talks, whose format and mediator were tapped by Tehran.
This uncertainty mainly stems from the inconsistent statements and positions on Iran's nuclear program held by U.S.
President Donald Trump, who, while repeatedly claiming his sole aim is to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons, has simultaneously demanded far more in executive orders and official messages.
For example, a directive signed shortly after his return to the White House called for changes in Irans missile and drone program, as well as its ties with Resistance groups.The Saturday talks may offer an initial assessment of Trump's willingness to engage in serious diplomacy.
Iran has repeatedly said that its military and regional policies are non-negotiable, and now that the U.S.
has already scrapped one nuclear deal the JCPOA, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018 it will be able to compromise far less on its nuclear program this time around.
Iran's nuclear program has made unprecedented strides since 2020, a period when European signatories to the JCPOA began to practically align themselves with Washington's policies regarding the deal.Trump has said he would bomb the hell out of Iran if a new nuclear deal is not established, a threat Iranians have reacted to firmly, with the most recent warning coming from Pezeshkian himself.
We are not seeking war, but with the knowledge and power that our dear ones have created, we will stand strong in the face of any aggression, the president said.Also on Wednesday, the U.S.
hit Iran with new sanctions.
The Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions on five entities and one person for their support of Irans nuclear program.