Iran International
A former senior official in Tehran has urged the establishment of diplomatic ties with Washington and sharply criticized President Masoud Pezeshkian for downplaying the impact of US sanctions.
Hamid Aboutalebi, former political director of the presidential office, issued a forceful warning in a post on X Sunday, highlighting the layered diplomatic pressures Iran faces in preventing the referral of its case to the UN Security Council and avoiding a European snapback of 2015 nuclear deal sanctions.
“It appears that Iran has only one path forward to prevent its nuclear case from being referred to the UN Security Council,” he asserted, “(coming to) an understanding with the United States and establishing diplomatic relations with that country.”
Such a thaw would mean that Washington does not back any resolution against Iran in the Board of Governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he added.
If the IAEA determines Iran to be in serious breach, it could refer the case to the Security Council, which may impose sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, as it did in 2006 under Resolution 1737.
Aboutalebi also warned that withdrawal from the NPT—advocated by some hardliners, including the Supreme Leader–appointed Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari—would deepen the crisis and trigger severe economic and social turmoil.
Hardline outlet Jahan News—affiliated with Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani—accused Aboutalebi of using a “disrespectful tone” and condemned his call for ties with the US
“This anger stems from the president’s commendable stance toward the Americans,” the outlet wrote.
IAEA concerns, stalled talks
In a confidential May 31 report, the IAEA outlined Iran’s use of undeclared nuclear material at three sites and noted a rise in its 60%-enriched uranium stockpile—now at 408.6 kilograms since February.
This is enough for roughly ten nuclear weapons if further enriched to weapons-grade.
No date has been set for the next round of US-Iran talks, and both sides remain at odds over enrichment.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would not accept any deal that denies its right to peaceful uranium enrichment.
President Trump, posting on Truth Social, reiterated that the US will not allow any enrichment by Iran. The UN Security Council is set to review Resolution 2231—the 2015 nuclear deal’s legal backbone—on June 24.
Criticism of Pezeshkian
Aboutalebi also took aim at Pezeshkian’s recent remarks that Iran has not been brought to its knees by sanctions or failed talks. He likened them to counterproductive slogans from the past.
“Your statements resemble preaching,” he wrote, referencing the slogan “Nuclear energy is our inalienable right,” which, he said, led to “failure and plunged the country into the abyss of Security Council resolutions.”
Although Pezeshkian heads Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, his influence over the nuclear file is limited.
According to senior lawmaker and IRGC general Esmaeil Kowsari, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has appointed a special team that sets overall nuclear strategy.
“Before each round of talks, Iranian negotiators meet separately with that team and with Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee,” said Kowsari.
"The Tehran reactor we use was built by the Americans. In Canada and the United States, reactors operate with 90% enriched fuel," Mohammad Eslami said on Iranian state television. "So the percentage of enrichment has no particular significance."
The nuclear chief also stressed that 20% enrichment is necessary for research reactors. "Without the capability to design and manufacture reactors and complete the fuel cycle, one cannot claim to be nuclear-capable — and we are now at that level," he said.
Eslami emphasized that Iran’s nuclear development is rooted in national capability. "We have now reached full maturity in the nuclear fuel cycle, which is the foundation of the nuclear industry," he said.
"The West cannot tolerate this and continues to escalate its hostility toward us in every possible way."
He accused the United States and its allies of trying to maintain monopolistic control over nuclear technology. "They have always said Iran should have no domestic reactor and must import fuel indefinitely," Eslami said. "Our response has always been clear: we will not accept such dependency."
He said the West’s portrayal of Iran’s nuclear intentions was misleading. "They do not want development unless it’s under their flag," he said. "But all our progress has been achieved by our own youth."
On Wednesday, Eslami vowed to continue advancing the country’s nuclear program with “faith, revolutionary spirit, and heartfelt conviction,” asserting that Iran will resist excessive demands from the United States and other global powers in a statement addressed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Diplomatic talks mediated by Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff have stalled over Iran’s insistence on maintaining enrichment activities inside the country.
US and Iran want an agreement, UN nuclear watchdog says
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi, speaking in Damascus, said that the agency is not party to the negotiations but remains in close contact with both sides.
"They are negotiating, not us, but it is obvious that the IAEA will have to be the guarantor of whichever agreement they come to," he said.
Grossi expressed cautious optimism. "I think they both want an agreement, which doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get," he said. "But having two sides that want a deal is already a big advantage."
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to respond swiftly to American demands. "Time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to mediate.
In March, Trump warned that if a deal was not agreed upon within two months, the US would bomb Tehran, though he did not state a deadline.
Iran has consistently said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, Western powers have accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons capabilities—allegations Iran denies.
Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching uranium to 60% U-235. The IAEA has consistently maintained that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to this level, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade 90% fissile material.