Rome talks delay was US request tied to White House reshuffle, former Iranian envoy says

Dozens of relatives of those killed or missing in the Bandar Rajaei explosion staged a protest on Saturday, blocking access to the port and demanding faster identification of remains.

According to Fars News Agency, around 40 family members gathered at the entrance of the port holding photos of their loved ones. Protesters called for clarity on the fate of those still unaccounted for.

Out of 70 confirmed deaths from the April 26 blast, only 36 bodies have been identified so far.

Videos sent to Iran International earlier in the day showed demonstrators halting traffic on the main road to the dock in protest over the slow pace of forensic efforts.

The head of Hormozgan’s judiciary warned Saturday that public commentary on the Bandar Rajaei explosion could carry legal consequences if deemed misleading or politically motivated.

“Misinformation or statements made with secondary aims or unlawful intent may be considered criminal under Iranian law,” said Mojtaba Ghahremani, adding that the incident is under investigation by security and judicial bodies.

He also cautioned against generalizing the blast to the entire port, noting that the explosion occurred at a “small company” among 52 operating within the 2,400-hectare facility.

A senior Iranian lawmaker said Tehran is willing to accept some "quantitative limits" on its nuclear program—but only if the United States lifts all sanctions and restores normal economic conditions.

“Nuclear negotiations are a two-way street,” said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. “If all sanctions are removed and our economy is allowed to function normally, we would accept certain quantitative nuclear restrictions.”

Boroujerdi added that Iran remains committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its nuclear doctrine is grounded in the Supreme Leader’s fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons.

He warned that Israeli pressure on the US remains the main obstacle to progress. “If Washington caves to Tel Aviv, Iran will use all its capacity to defend national interests,” he said.

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A member of Iran’s parliament said Saturday that the delay in the fourth round of indirect talks with the United States stems from what he called “American bad faith.”

“The Americans were never pursuing an understanding through negotiations—they want access to Iran’s nuclear sites to dismantle them,” said Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, in an interview with Tabnak.

Zohrevand accused the US of exploiting Iran’s economic difficulties. “Unfortunately, the government projected weakness, which made the Americans think they could use our economic situation to extract concessions,” he said.

He added that Washington was following “a path of intimidation,” citing recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “No Iranian would accept sitting at the table with a chaotic team like Trump’s,” Zohrevand said.

“Negotiations with the US offer us nothing. As the Leader has said, they are not trustworthy.”

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Mostafa Pourmohammadi, secretary of Iran’s Combatant Clergy Association and a former interior and justice minister, criticized those who view current negotiations with the United States as a reluctant or imposed move.

“Some say talks with the US are being forced upon us out of desperation. That’s because we lack proper analysis and don’t understand our religious foundations or history,” he said in a speech Friday in Qom.

Pourmohammadi stressed that defending the Islamic system requires more than martyrdom. “If someone longs for martyrdom, there are also Muslims who want to live and continue practicing their faith,” he said. “If this country falls into the wrong hands, nothing of religion or faith will remain.”

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