Ahead of a next round of nuclear talks with the United States, Iran has issued a defiant warning—cautioning Washington to take its red lines seriously on uranium enrichment and sanctions relief, announcing an expansion of its nuclear power program and threatening to curtail cooperation with the UN watchdog IAEA. One top Iranian official described U.S. President Donald Trump as “delusional”.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
Recent remarks by Iranian officials come amid heightened tensions over discussions on a potential nuclear agreement with Washington as Tehran faces growing pressure from Western powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), alongside threats of military action by Israel.
As it prepares to respond to a U.S. proposal following five rounds of Oman-mediated talks, Iran says its advancing nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes and non-negotiable, while demanding meaningful relief from the sanctions reimposed under Trump.
What To Know
“We strongly recommend the American side not to waste this opportunity — it’s in their own interest to take it seriously,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said about the upcoming round of talks, according to Mehr News Agency.
The ministry has also criticized plans for a resolution from the United States and European allies to the IAEA board that would declare Iran non-compliant with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, according to Reuters.
After years of good cooperation with the IAEA—resulting in a resolution which shut down malign claims of a “possible military dimension” (PMD) to Iran’s peaceful nuclear program—my country is once again accused of “non-compliance”. Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 6, 2025
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said his country will “powerfully advance its nuclear program in clear response to Western lies,” the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says, with Baqaei warning that any IAEA confrontation would trigger Iranian countermeasures, not more cooperation.
While enrichment has been at the heart of disagreements, Iranian officials have further expressed skepticism over Washington’s recent proposal, saying it did not address sanctions relief—a central demand in the negotiations. Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf called Trump the “delusional president of the United States” pursuing a policy of “imposition,” according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
Under the Trump administration’s maximum pressure policy, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned over 30 Iranian individuals this week for operating a shadow banking network that allegedly facilitated billions of dollars in illicit transactions for the Iranian government.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, as quoted by Reuters on Tuesday: “They’re just asking for things that you can’t do. They don’t want to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi said Monday in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA): “We are preparing the response, which has not yet been finalized… Our proposal is certainly not a one-sentence or one-paragraph text that can be easily dismissed. It contains elements that demonstrate our seriousness, show that our position has a defined framework, and indicate that we intend to work based on established principles. Our approach is logical.”
What Happens Next
Iran will send its reply to Washington within days, according to media reports, with the date of the next round of talks with the U.S. yet to be officially confirmed by all parties. Members of the IAEA board are due to vote this week.
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