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Iran Rejects US Offer for Direct Nuclear Talks, Cites June Attacks
Iran’s foreign ministry forcefully dismissed U.S. claims of readiness for direct nuclear negotiations as “propaganda” on Wednesday, highlighting Washington’s role in June attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities during the 12-Day War with Israel.
Speaking through state news agency IRNA, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghei rejected the American overture made at a United Nations Security Council meeting a day earlier. “This rhetoric of the US representative regarding diplomacy and negotiation is merely a propaganda game aimed at deceiving public opinion,” Baghei stated.
The diplomatic standoff follows Tuesday’s Security Council meeting where Morgan Ortagus, serving as deputy Middle East envoy, declared that “The United States remains available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue.” The U.S. position maintains that any potential agreement must include “no nuclear enrichment inside Iran” – a condition Tehran considers unacceptable.
Before the outbreak of the 12-Day War, Iran and the United States had conducted five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations. These talks collapsed when Israel launched attacks targeting Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists, with Washington joining by bombing key nuclear infrastructure. The conflict prompted the reimposition of severe sanctions on Iran for allegedly failing to meet its nuclear obligations.
Baghei contrasted the two nations’ approaches to diplomacy, asserting that “Unlike Iran, which has always adhered to ‘meaningful’ diplomacy, the US has shown that it has neither good intentions nor seriousness.” He characterized the U.S. position as “a repetition of exaggeration that has no basis or logic in international law and the non-proliferation regime.”
The core disagreement centers on Iran’s uranium enrichment activities. While Washington demands complete termination of Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran maintains its enrichment is solely for “peaceful purposes” and refuses to halt operations. Baghei emphasized that Iran’s rights as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “to exploit nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including enrichment,” are inviolable.
In his statement, Baghei pointedly referenced the June military actions, saying Iran was “in the middle of a negotiation process when, together with a genocidal occupying regime, you invaded our land and compatriots and launched Iranicide.”
Compounding the tensions, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), announced Wednesday that Tehran has not established guidelines for United Nations inspectors to examine nuclear facilities damaged during the June attacks. “Political and psychological pressure and irrelevant demands for repeated inspections of the bombed facilities and the completion of enemy operations are unacceptable and will not be responded to,” Eslami declared, according to IRNA.
The international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has been routinely blocked from monitoring Iranian nuclear facilities since the June attacks. Iran justifies these restrictions by citing the termination of commitments under the nuclear deal.
The impasse deepened in September when the UN reimposed sanctions on Iran for allegedly failing to meet its nuclear obligations. In response, Tehran further restricted IAEA access to its facilities.
This diplomatic breakdown represents a significant setback in international efforts to address concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. With both sides hardening their positions – the U.S. demanding complete cessation of enrichment and Iran insisting on its right to pursue nuclear technology – the path to renewed negotiations appears increasingly challenging.
The situation continues to raise concerns about regional stability and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, with few signs of diplomatic breakthrough on the immediate horizon.
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5 Comments
This standoff highlights the complex geopolitics at play. Beyond the nuclear issue, there are wider tensions and mistrust between Iran and the US that complicate the diplomatic path forward. Resolving this will take time and good-faith efforts from all parties.
The US demand for ‘no nuclear enrichment inside Iran’ is a non-starter. That’s a core part of Iran’s nuclear program and national sovereignty. Any deal will require difficult compromises on both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution.
This seems like another tit-for-tat in the ongoing nuclear dispute between Iran and the US. Both sides are posturing and trying to gain leverage through the media. It’s hard to see a clear path forward without direct and good-faith negotiations.
I’m not surprised Iran is rejecting the US offer for talks. After the 12-Day War and attacks on their nuclear facilities, they likely don’t trust the US intentions. Building back that trust will be a major challenge for any potential negotiations.
The 12-Day War must have really shaken Iran’s confidence in the US. No wonder they are so skeptical of American offers for talks now. Rebuilding that trust is crucial, but will be an uphill battle given the history between the two countries.