Latest news with #USIranrelations
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Iran demands ‘assurance' against further attacks to resume US nuclear talks
Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear programme, but, 'assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war'. Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, 'first, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran is open to resuming nuclear talks with the US, but only if 'firm assurances' are provided against future attacks. Photo: dpa Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for cooperation 'case by case,' based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's 'security' concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. 'The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,' he said. He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US President Donald Trump has insisted that this cannot happen. 03:07 What's known about the 3 Iranian nuclear sites hit by US bunker-buster bombs What's known about the 3 Iranian nuclear sites hit by US bunker-buster bombs Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed that Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons programme in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent – a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Iran Says It's Considering US Offer to Restart Nuclear Talks
Iran's foreign minister said the US is trying to revive nuclear talks with Tehran while stressing that his country is in no hurry to resume negotiations. 'The Americans insist on returning to the negotiating table,' Abbas Araghchi said in televised remarks Saturday, adding that Iran has received 'multiple messages.' Tehran is weighing its options regarding the timing, location, and structure of potential talks, but is 'in no rush to enter into reckless negotiations.'
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
American who was wrongfully detained in Iran urges US citizens not to travel to country
An American who was wrongfully detained in Iran joined with the State Department to warn US citizens not to travel to the country 'under any circumstances,' and urged those planning to go to 'cancel your trip.' Emad Shargi was among five Americans freed in September 2023 as part of a wider deal between the US and Iran. He spent more than five years imprisoned there. In a video posted by State Department accounts on X Thursday, Shargi cautioned all Americans, including Iranian-Americans, not to visit. 'Now is a particularly bad time to travel there. I know you may want to visit family and loved ones, but there is a very high risk of arrest and imprisonment by the Iranian regime,' he said. 'Trust me, nothing is worth being tortured for and spending years of your life in filthy, dark Iranian jail cell.' 'To anyone planning to travel to Iran, listen to me: cancel your trip,' he said. Shargi noted that he traveled to Iran to visit family in 2018 and was then arrested on false espionage charges. 'I know this because it happened to me,' he said. 'Before I went to Iran, I thought, 'This surely won't happen to you. These things happen to people who have done something wrong, who have said things against the Iranian regime,'' Shargi said. 'I was wrong. Don't make my mistake. To fellow Iranian Americans, your Iranian background does not protect you. It makes you an even greater target for Iranian authorities to use you as a political pawn,' he said. Shargi's warning came as part of a new campaign redoubling longstanding warnings against travel to Iran. It comes following the conflict between Israel and Iran and after unprecedented US military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A State Department spokesperson said Tehran does not recognize dual nationality but may target dual nationals because of their affiliation with the US. The travel advisory cautions that 'Iranian authorities routinely delay consular access to detained U.S. nationals,' and 'in particular, Iranian authorities consistently deny consular access to dual U.S.-Iranian nationals.' The US has no diplomatic presence in Iran and relies on Swiss officials to check on Americans detained there. 'The risk of wrongful detention, or State hostage-taking, may be even greater for Iranian Americans, including dual nationals, as they have been routinely taken and held unjustly by the Iranian regime in the past, held for years on false charges, subjected to psychological torture, even sentenced to death,' Special Envoy Adam Boehler said. For those who still choose to visit, the State Department has some stark advice: 'leave DNA samples' in case your loved ones need them and 'draft a will.'
