Latest news with #Iran
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Iran ready for war with Israel, will not halt nuclear programme: Pezeshkian
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his country is prepared for any war Israel might wage against it, adding he was not optimistic about the ceasefire between the countries, while confirming Tehran is committed to continuing its nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. Pezeshkian made the comments in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired on Wednesday, which was the Iranian leader's first televised interview since the end of the 12-day conflict with Israel last month, in which the United States intervened on Israel's behalf, launching strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The comments come as Western nations say they are seeking a solution to Iran's ongoing nuclear ambitions in the wake of the conflict, amid reports that strikes on its nuclear facilities were less damaging than claimed by Washington. 'We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military move, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel again,' Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera. Iran was not relying on the ceasefire that ended the 12-day war to hold, he said. 'We are not very optimistic about it,' said Pezeshkian. 'That is why we have prepared ourselves for any possible scenario and any potential response. Israel has harmed us, and we have also harmed it. It has dealt us powerful blows, and we have struck it hard in its depths, but it is concealing its losses.' He added that Israel's strikes, which assassinated leading military figures and nuclear scientists, and damaged nuclear facilities, had sought to 'eliminate' Iran's hierarchy, 'but it has completely failed to do so'. More than 900 people were killed in Iran, large numbers of them civilians, and at least 28 people were killed in Israel before a ceasefire took hold on June 24. Enrichment programme will continue Pezeshkian said Iran would continue its uranium enrichment programme despite international opposition, saying the development of its nuclear abilities would be carried out 'within the framework of international laws'. '[US President Donald] Trump says that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and we accept this because we reject nuclear weapons and this is our political, religious, humanitarian and strategic position,' he said. 'We believe in diplomacy, so any future negotiations must be according to a win-win logic, and we will not accept threats and dictates.' He said the claim from Trump 'that our nuclear programme is over is just an illusion'. 'Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists and not in the facilities,' he said. Pezeshkian's comments echoed earlier remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News aired Monday that Tehran would never abandon its uranium enrichment programme, but was open to a negotiated solution to its nuclear ambitions, in which it would guarantee that the programme was for peaceful purposes in response for the lifting of sanctions. Israel sought to 'overthrow' leadership Pezeshkian also addressed an attempt by Israel to assassinate him at a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran on June 15, which was reported to have left him with minor injuries. Asked about the assassination attempt, he said it had been part of a plan by Israeli commanders to target Iran's political leadership in the wake of its assassination of senior military figures, in a bid 'to put the country into chaos in order to overthrow it completely'. But the plan had failed, he said. He also stressed that Tehran's strikes on Qatar's Al Udeid base in the wake of US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities had not been an attack on Qatar and its people. 'We do not even have a thought or imagination that there should be hostility or rivalry between us and the state of Qatar,' he said, adding that he had called Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the day of the strikes to explain his position. 'I say clearly and honestly that we did not attack the State of Qatar, but we attacked a base for America that bombed our country while all our intentions towards Qatar and its people are good and positive.' Talks with European powers to resume Araghchi said on Monday that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is still evaluating how the attacks last month had affected Iran's enriched material, saying Tehran would soon inform the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its findings. He said Iran had not stopped cooperation with the IAEA, adding that any request for the IAEA to send inspectors back to Iran would be 'carefully considered'. IAEA inspectors left Iran earlier this month after Pezeshkian signed a law suspending cooperation with the agency. Meanwhile, talks are set to take place between Iran, France, Germany and the UK in Turkiye on Friday. The three European parties to the former Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Tehran signed with several world powers in 2015 before the US pulled out in 2018, have said Tehran's failure to resume negotiations would lead to international sanctions being reimposed on it.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Tehran to Continue Nuclear Enrichment as Trump Threatens US Could Again Strike Iran's Nuclear Sites
Iran has no plans to abandon its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment, despite 'severe' damage to its facilities after US strikes last month, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday. 'For now, enrichment is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe,' Araghchi said in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier. 'But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists,' he added, calling it a source of 'national pride.' The FM stressed that any future nuclear deal would have to contain the right to enrichment. When asked whether any enriched uranium had been saved from the strikes, Araghchi said he had 'no detailed information,' but that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is 'trying to evaluate what has exactly happened to our nuclear material, to our enriched material.' He also said Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was in 'good health' and that Tehran was open to talks with Washington but that those will not be direct 'for the time being.' In response to Araghchi's comments, US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could strike Iran's nuclear sites again 'if necessary.' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday, 'Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the Iran Nuclear Sites: 'Damages are very severe, they are destroyed.' Of course they are, just like I said.' Meanwhile, Araghchi said Iran remains open to indirect talks with the Trump administration following the strikes on Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, but cautioned that Iran will not give up nuclear enrichment in any potential deal. Prior to the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only. Araghchi also confirmed that his country would continue to develop and manufacture missiles. Despite multiple barrages of missiles launched at Israel and waves of Israeli attacks on its bases and launchers, the FM said: 'We still have a good number of missiles to defend ourselves.' He also denied that Iran wants to wipe Israel 'off the map.' Moreover, Araghchi asserted that Tehran would continue to support Palestinian and other armed groups. 'We believe that these groups – Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis – are fighting for a just cause.' Criticism The Iranian Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Fars News Agency criticized Araghchi's interview. The news agency said on Tuesday Araghchi's acknowledgment that the US strikes caused 'serious damage' to nuclear facilities and led to a halt in enrichment signaled weakness. Fars called the remarks exaggerated and warned that such statements could be viewed as a sign of excessive flexibility. It also said Araghchi should not have dismissed clerical fatwas issued in Iran calling for the killing of Trump. 'Araghchi should not have referred the fatwas to radical groups,' it wrote. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. 'I don't believe a single word that the Iranian foreign minister says,' Whitaker said. He continued: 'He's not a credible voice for peace. I think it is time for Iran to come to the table and negotiate with the United States of America on a path towards peace and prosperity for the Iranian people.'
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Iranian Officials Suspect Sabotage in String of Mysterious Fires
For more than two weeks, mysterious explosions and fires have erupted across Iran, setting ablaze apartment complexes and oil refineries, a road outside a major airport and even a shoe factory. In public, Iranian officials have shrugged off the events as mere coincidence or blamed aging infrastructure, trying to soothe the frayed nerves of a population still traumatized by the country's war with Israel and the United States in June. But in private, three Iranian officials, including a member of the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said they believed that many of them were acts of sabotage. While Iran's government has many enemies that would like to see it falter, the officials have trained their suspicions on Israel, pointing to its history of covert operations in Iran, including explosions and assassinations. And after Israel's 12-day bombing campaign last month in Iran, a senior Israeli intelligence official had vowed to continue operating in Iran. A European official who deals with Iran said he had also assessed the attacks as sabotage and suspected Israel of involvement, based on its history in Iran — both as a form of psychological warfare and to take out targets. The four officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Iranian officials interviewed did not provide evidence to back up their suspicions, and the authorities who spoke publicly cited other causes for the explosions, including gas leaks, garbage fires and old infrastructure. But they have also not given the public a convincing explanation of why gas explosions are occurring at a rate of one to two per day across the country. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The National
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Starvation in Gaza and Israeli army attacks Syria
Starvation is on the rise in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army launched a drone strike against pro-government troops in southern Syria on Tuesday, sources in Jordan said. Iran is saying it will not abandon its nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Children starve to death in Gaza as doctors faint from hunger amid Israeli aid blockade Four children among 15 dead due to starvation in Gaza Israeli army resumes strikes on southern Syria Europe takes snapback leverage to Iran talks in Istanbul This episode features Rakan Abdelrahman, Correspondent; and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Jordan Correspondent. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.
Times of Oman
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
"We cannot give up our enrichment": FM Araghchi says Iran open to talks
Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran will not abandon its uranium enrichment programme despite significant damage caused by recent US and Israeli airstrikes, calling the programme a matter of "national pride", Al Jazeera reported. "It is now stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe, but obviously, we cannot give up our enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists, and now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," Araghchi told US broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired on Monday. Araghchi also signaled Iran's willingness to re-engage in diplomacy, saying Iran is "open to talks" with the United States, though not directly "for the time being." According to Al Jazeera, he stated, "If they [the US] are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them." "We are ready to do any confidence-building measure needed to prove that Iran's nuclear programme is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever, and Iran would never go for nuclear weapons, and in return, we expect them to lift their sanctions," the minister added. "So, my message to the United States is that let's go for a negotiated solution for Iran's nuclear programme," Araghchi said, according to Al Jazeera. He also emphasised that there is still a diplomatic path forward: "There is a negotiated solution for our nuclear programme. We have done it once in the past. We are ready to do it once again." As Al Jazeera reported, talks between Tehran and Washington on the nuclear programme were underway earlier this year, following years of tension since Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal had allowed for extensive international monitoring of Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. However, recent developments have strained relations further. On June 13, Israel launched a series of surprise bombing raids targeting Iran's military and nuclear facilities, which led to the deaths of more than 900 people in Iran and at least 28 in Israel before a ceasefire was established on June 24. The US also joined in the attacks, and the Pentagon later said it had set back Iran's nuclear programme by one to two years. Al Jazeera noted that Araghchi said Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation is still assessing the damage to enriched materials and will "soon inform" the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its findings. "We have not stopped our cooperation with the agency," he claimed, though he added that any request for IAEA inspectors would be "carefully considered." Inspectors had previously exited Iran after President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA. According to Al Jazeera, Iranian officials accused the IAEA of bias following a resolution passed by its board on June 12, which accused Tehran of non-compliance with nuclear obligations. Iran has said this resolution was one of the "excuses" Israel used to justify its military strikes. Meanwhile, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric welcomed "dialogue between the Europeans and the Iranians," referring to planned talks between Iran, France, Germany, and the UK in Turkiye on Friday, Al Jazeera reported.
