Iran’s top security official declared Tuesday that the door to nuclear negotiations with the United States remains open, but Washington’s insistence on missile restrictions is blocking progress, Reuters reported.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, posted on X, “We indeed pursue rational negotiations. By raising unrealizable issues such as missile restrictions, they set a path that negates any talks.”
The remarks come after a sixth round of Iran-US talks, moderated by Oman, was suspended following a 12-day war in June, during which Israeli and American forces targeted Iranian nuclear sites.
Western powers have long expressed concern that Iran’s uranium enrichment program could produce material for nuclear weapons and that Tehran is developing missiles capable of delivering such payloads.
Iran denies these allegations, asserting its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy production. It maintains that uranium enrichment is for fuel and that its missile capabilities are non-negotiable.
Larijani’s comments follow the recent activation of the “snapback mechanism” by France, Germany, and Britain – collectively known as the E3 – which could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran. The E3 has urged Iran to return to talks with the US and meet certain conditions to delay sanctions for up to six months.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared last week that tensions with the United States are “unsolvable” and vowed the Islamic Republic would never submit to American demands.
“The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Khamenei stated, adding, “They want Iran to be obedient to America.”