Iran’s Defence Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh has said that his country would target US military bases in the region if the US attacked it first over its nuclear programme.
Nasirzadeh told reporters, “Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition.” He added, “If a conflict is imposed on us … all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries.”
Washington and Tehran have held five rounds of talks since April as US President, Donald Trump seeks an agreement that would place constraints on Iran’s uranium enrichment. He has threatened to attack Iran if no deal can be agreed.
Iran insists that its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes, but Western powers have long expressed fear that Tehran intends to develop a nuclear weapon.
The sixth round of talks is expected later this week, with Trump saying they will take place on Thursday, and Tehran saying they will be held on Sunday in Oman.
In the next round of talks, Iran is expected to deliver its counter to a previous US offer that was rejected by Tehran.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi also weighed in on the impending talks. “President Trump entered office saying that Iran should not have nuclear weapons,” Aragchi noted on X, adding, “That is actually in line with our own doctrine and could become the main foundation for a deal.”
“As we resume talks on Sunday, it is clear that an agreement that can ensure the continued peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program is within reach — and could be achieved rapidly.
“That mutually beneficial outcome relies on the continuation of Iran’s enrichment program, under the full supervision of the IAEA, and the effective termination of sanctions.”
Abbas Araghchi
Trump ‘Less Confident’ Of A Deal
Meanwhile, Trump in a podcast, said that he was growing less confident that a nuclear deal would be reached, in comments in a podcast released on Wednesday.
“I don’t know. I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made.”
Donald Trump
Trump repeated the US position that Iran would be stopped from developing a nuclear bomb, regardless of whether a deal was reached.
“But it would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying, it’s so much nicer to do it but I don’t think I see the same level of enthusiasm for them to make a deal.”
Donald Trump
Russia has also called for greater efforts to find a resolution to the nuclear issue.
Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, who oversees arms control and US relations, told reporters that Moscow could provide practical help to strike a solution, offering that Russia could remove nuclear material from Iran to be converted into civilian reactor fuel. “We are ready to provide assistance to both Washington and Tehran, not only politically, not only in the form of ideas that could be of use in the negotiation process, but also practically,” Ryabkov stated.
The global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is currently meeting in Vienna, where it is poised to vote on a resolution to censure Iran over accusations it has failed to comply with nuclear non-proliferation obligations.
Iran has promised a “proportionate” response to any action against it by the watchdog or Western powers.
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