Iranian Minister Alleges Threats, Bribes in Nuclear Talks with US
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has detailed what he describes as a hostile environment during negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme. In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Araghchi recounted telling US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff about the constant danger faced by Iranian negotiators.
“I asked Witkoff, have you ever been in a meeting where at any moment you think the whole meeting might be bombed? Have you ever been on the phone while you're talking? You might, as they say, explode or be destroyed,” Araghchi said.
The remarks come amid a breakdown of a US-brokered ceasefire and renewed military strikes between the two countries. US Central Command announced a new wave of strikes targeting Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported explosions in several Iranian cities early Monday, including Tabriz and Chabahar.
Araghchi said that despite what he called American and Israeli threats, Tehran refused to back down on its nuclear programme. “In response to the illegal and unreasonable demand for zero enrichment, we resisted and stood firm,” he stated. The minister claimed that the United States first established contact with Iran for nuclear negotiations last year but later chose military action when talks did not yield the desired outcome.
Rejecting comparisons to Venezuela, where US operations led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, Araghchi stressed that Iran's political system is not reliant on a single leader. “This isn't Venezuela where you take one person and everyone else gets scared and backs down,” he said.
The interview highlights the deep mistrust between the two nations as conflict escalates. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also conducted strikes against US positions in Syria and Kuwait, according to Iranian state media. The US has reported three confirmed military deaths in the renewed fighting.
