Iran International
Iran’s parliament speaker on Friday accused the US of using nuclear talks to pressure Tehran into relinquishing its defense capabilities, amid tensions over a recent letter from President Donald Trump demanding missile restrictions.
“The US means disarmament when it says negotiation,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a speech during Quds Day rallies in Tehran on Friday. “Our people understand that talks under threat are just a show to impose their will. No wise nation would accept that.”
His comments were echoed by other senior Iranian officials speaking at Quds Day events, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Larijani.
“The letter was carefully examined and discussed in detail,” Araghchi said. “Parts of it contained threats. We will not allow anyone to speak to the Iranian people in the language of threats.” He added that while diplomacy remains possible, Iran would not negotiate under pressure. However, he noted that in its reply Iran "made an effort to keep a diplomatic window open.”
Larijani also weighed in, saying any agreement with Washington would require mutual acceptance of terms. “Both sides must agree,” he said. “Right now, they state their position, and we state ours.”
Responding to Trump’s recent threats of military action if Iran refuses to negotiate, Larijani added: “Someone who really intends to act doesn’t talk this much.”
Ali Shamkhani, former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also said on Friday that Iran had delivered a "restrained" response to Trump’s letter. He noted that the reply was prepared by multiple relevant institutions and emphasized that while Iran remains open to indirect negotiations, any talks must be conducted on equal terms. “If negotiations are conducted from a position of parity, we are prepared to take further steps,” Shamkhani said.
These remarks came a day after Iran said it has formally responded to a letter from US President Donald Trump to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in which Trump reportedly set a two-month deadline for a new nuclear deal. The response, delivered via Oman, rejected direct talks under tightened sanctions but signaled openness to continued indirect negotiations.
“In the latest letter, there’s no serious discussion about lifting sanctions,” Ghalibaf said. “The US behavior in that letter reflects classic American bullying.”
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated since Trump reinstated his so-called maximum pressure sanctions campaign in early February, aimed at cutting Iran’s oil exports to zero. Trump has demanded that Iran agree to a more comprehensive nuclear deal or face military consequences.
Trump also has mentioned restrictions on some of Iran's conventional weapons, such as ballistic missiles that threaten Israel and other regional countries. Washington has also warned that Tehran must stop its support for militant groups in the region.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but has enriched uranium well beyond the limits set by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in his first term. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Tehran has accumulated more enriched uranium than any state without a declared weapons program.
Iran maintains that it will only negotiate over its nuclear program if its rights are respected. Its ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, said on Thursday that Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional influence are not up for discussion.
“The resistance in Lebanon is still strong and capable. The resistance in Yemen is active,” Al-Sadegh said. “The axis of resistance remains and is alive.”
Ghalibaf echoed that position, warning that any US military action would ignite a wider conflict. “If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty, it will be like a spark in a powder keg that sets the whole region ablaze. In such a scenario, American bases and allies will not be safe.”
