Latest news with #USIranRelations
The National
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Abbas Araghchi insists Iran's commitment to avoiding war is not sign of weakness
Iran 's commitment to avoiding a full-scale war should not be misinterpreted as weakness, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned, as Tehran was still open to dialogue with the US. In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, Mr Araghchi said Iran has "good reason" to doubt the merits of diplomacy after being 'wronged' in last month's war with Israel. His government was now 'doubly cautious' about the process, he added. The US and Iran had been 'on the cusp of a historic breakthrough' in nuclear negotiations before Israel launched its 'unprovoked' attack on Iranian nuclear sites, Mr Araghchi wrote, with the talks being 'sabotaged' by Washington's ally. Mr Araghchi's comments came after US President Donald Trump said Iran was actively seeking talks on a new nuclear deal, a claim Tehran denies. Although Iran has in recent days received messages indicating the US may be ready to return to negotiations, how can we trust further engagement? Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister The US-Iran talks fell through after five rounds of discussions that were reported to have produced positive results. On June 13, Israel struck nuclear, military and strategic sites across Iran, killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. The attacks, which caught Tehran off guard, took place before a scheduled sixth meeting and after a deadline the Trump administration had set for the talks to deliver results had lapsed. 'This was a profound betrayal of diplomacy,' wrote Mr Araghchi. 'As Iran-US dialogue was finally gaining momentum, the reckless bombardment sent an unambiguous message: Israel prefers conflict over resolution.' Iran responded swiftly to the attacks, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities. The war was their first direct military confrontation after decades of fighting through regional proxies. The conflict escalated when the US struck three nuclear plants in Iran, an attack Mr Trump described as a "spectacular military success". Mr Araghchi condemned the strikes as a 'fateful decision by the US to allow itself to be cajoled into undermining international law'. Mr Trump then announced an Iran-Israel ceasefire between Israel and Iran, bringing an end to 12 days of war. The following day Washington said it was re-entering talks with Iran"next week". 'Although Iran has in recent days received messages indicating that the US may be ready to return to negotiations, how can we trust further engagement?' wrote Mr Araghchi. He also accused the US of being 'ensnared' in Israel's wars and said Mr Trump's promise of 'America First' is being twisted into 'Israel First'. His comments reaffirm statements made by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson. 'How are we going to trust the United States again?" the Iranian President said. "We re-enter the negotiations, then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack?'
Al Bawaba
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Abbas Araghchi meets Saudi counterpart in Mecca
ALBAWABA- In a significant step toward regional diplomacy, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Tuesday at the Ministry's branch in Mecca. Also Read Two Missing, two injured after ship attacked off Yemen The meeting was Araghchi's first official visit to Saudi Arabia since attending the BRICS summit in Brazil, which indicates an easing of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after years of tension. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the visit aimed to deepen dialogue on bilateral ties and explore pathways to enhance regional peace and security. The two top diplomats discussed ongoing regional developments, including efforts to stabilize the Middle East amid escalating threats and political unrest. Araghchi's visit comes at a critical moment. In a sharply worded op-ed published by the Financial Times, the Iranian Foreign Minister criticized the United States' regional posture, claiming that 'America First' has effectively become 'Israel First.' He argued that true diplomacy must be built on mutual respect and warned against coercive policies masked as dialogue. 'Negotiations held under the shadow of war are inherently unstable,' Araghchi wrote, cautioning that real dialogue cannot exist while threats and third-party interference persist. He pointed to Israeli airstrikes on Iran and U.S. policy shifts as key factors derailing progress. Araghchi also revealed that U.S.-Iran nuclear talks had gained momentum in recent months, but claimed the diplomatic channel was disrupted just days before a crucial sixth round of talks by what he described as 'an unprovoked Israeli attack.' He expressed doubt over renewed U.S. engagement, citing the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement and the lack of trust after repeated setbacks. Despite his sharp criticism of the U.S. and Israel, Araghchi emphasized Iran's commitment to preventing a full-scale regional war and reiterated Tehran's openness to responsible diplomacy. He described recent conversations with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff as more productive than four years of prior negotiations.
Malay Mail
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Iranian president faces backlash over support for renewed US negotiations following Israeli bombing campaign
TEHRAN, July 9 — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came under fire today after voicing support for renewed talks with the United States, with critics accusing him of being 'too soft' in the wake of last month's attacks on the country. The backlash followed the release of an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, in which Pezeshkian said Iran had 'no problem' resuming talks so long as trust could be rebuilt between the two sides. His comments came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13 that killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists in Iran. The Israeli attacks took place two days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. The talks have since stalled. 'Have you forgotten that these same Americans, together with the Zionists, used the negotiations to buy time and prepare for the attack?' said an editorial in the hardline Kayhan newspaper, which has long opposed engagement with the West. The United States, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. The conservative Javan daily also took aim at Pezeshkian, saying his remarks appeared 'a little too soft'. 'We believe the real meaning of a conversation with an American presenter is conveyed when the words reflect the public's anger and total distrust of America,' it said. In contrast, the reformist Ham Mihan newspaper praised Pezeshkian's 'positive approach'. 'This interview should have been conducted a long time ago,' it wrote, adding that 'Iranian officials have unfortunately long been absent from the international and American media landscape.' Iranian authorities say the Israeli strikes killed at last 1,060 people. Israel, in turn, was hit by waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, which authorities said left dead at least 28 people. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24. — AFP pic
Al Arabiya
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Iran president faces backlash for ‘soft' US stance
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came under fire Tuesday after voicing support for renewed talks with the United States, with critics accusing him of being 'too soft' in the wake of last month's attacks on the country. The backlash followed the release of an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, in which Pezeshkian said Iran had 'no problem' resuming talks so long as trust could be rebuilt between the two sides. His comments came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13 that killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists in Iran. The Israeli attacks took place two days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. The talks have since stalled. 'Have you forgotten that these same Americans, together with the Zionists, used the negotiations to buy time and prepare for the attack?' said an editorial in the hardline Kayhan newspaper, which has long opposed engagement with the West. The United States, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. The conservative Javan daily also took aim at Pezeshkian, saying his remarks appeared 'a little too soft.' 'We believe the real meaning of a conversation with an American presenter is conveyed when the words reflect the public's anger and total distrust of America,' it said. In contrast, the reformist Ham Mihan newspaper praised Pezeshkian's 'positive approach.' 'This interview should have been conducted a long time ago,' it wrote, adding that 'Iranian officials have unfortunately long been absent from the international and American media landscape.' Iranian authorities say the Israeli strikes killed at last 1,060 people. Israel, in turn, was hit by waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, which authorities said left dead at least 28 people. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.
Bloomberg
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Iran President Tells Tucker Carlson He's Open to Talks With US
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Tucker Carlson his country remains open to talks with the US, but that it was difficult to trust Washington after its strikes last month. 'I'm of the belief that we could very much, easily resolve the differences and conflicts with the United States through dialog and talks,' Pezeshkian told Carlson in an almost-30 minute video interview conducted through an interpreter and aired on Monday.
