Sharma Ji
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2024
- Messages
- 10,915
- Likes
- 529
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
His family moved from east Pak, what is now BD. Ancestral village Barishaal, hence Doc's nickname for him, the Barishaal Bomber
[🇮🇷] Iran & the USA Relationship
- Thread starter Saif
- Start date
Iranian Defense
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 18,066
- Likes
- 8,549
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
Iran will deliver 'strong blow' against US if it attacks, Khamenei says
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the US would receive a strong blow if it acts on President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb unless Tehran reaches a new nuclear deal with Washington. Trump reiterated his threat on Sunday that Iran would be bombed if it does not
Iran will deliver 'strong blow' against US if it attacks, Khamenei says
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 31, 2025 19:14
Updated :
Mar 31, 2025 19:14
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran, Iran, Mar 31, 2025. Photo : Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the US would receive a strong blow if it acts on President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb unless Tehran reaches a new nuclear deal with Washington.
Trump reiterated his threat on Sunday that Iran would be bombed if it does not accept his offer for talks outlined in a letter sent to Iran’s leadership in early March, giving Tehran a two-month window to make a decision.
Iran handed a warning on Monday about Trump’s threats to Switzerland’s embassy, which represents US interests and acts as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, state media said. In its warning, Tehran expressed determination to respond “decisively and immediately” to any threat.
“The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,” Khamenei said.
“And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them,” he added.
Iranian authorities blame the West for recent unrest including 2022-2023 protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained for allegedly flouting hijab rules, and nationwide protests in 2019 over fuel price rises.
Last week, Iran responded to the US letter, with President Masoud Pezeshkian explaining on Sunday that Tehran would not enter direct negotiations with Washington but was willing to continue talks indirectly in line with an injunction from Khamenei.
“An open threat of ‘bombing’ by a head of state against Iran is a shocking affront to the very essence of international peace and security,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei tweeted on Monday.
“Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The US can choose the course and concede to consequences.”
Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander Amirali Hajizadeh threatened U.S. forces in the Middle East, saying in remarks to media that “Americans have at least 10 bases in the region with 50,000 troops. They are in a glass house and should not throw stones.”
In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.
Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.
Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy programme. Tehran says its nuclear programme is wholly for civilian energy purposes.
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 31, 2025 19:14
Updated :
Mar 31, 2025 19:14
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran, Iran, Mar 31, 2025. Photo : Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the US would receive a strong blow if it acts on President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb unless Tehran reaches a new nuclear deal with Washington.
Trump reiterated his threat on Sunday that Iran would be bombed if it does not accept his offer for talks outlined in a letter sent to Iran’s leadership in early March, giving Tehran a two-month window to make a decision.
Iran handed a warning on Monday about Trump’s threats to Switzerland’s embassy, which represents US interests and acts as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, state media said. In its warning, Tehran expressed determination to respond “decisively and immediately” to any threat.
“The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,” Khamenei said.
“And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them,” he added.
Iranian authorities blame the West for recent unrest including 2022-2023 protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained for allegedly flouting hijab rules, and nationwide protests in 2019 over fuel price rises.
Last week, Iran responded to the US letter, with President Masoud Pezeshkian explaining on Sunday that Tehran would not enter direct negotiations with Washington but was willing to continue talks indirectly in line with an injunction from Khamenei.
“An open threat of ‘bombing’ by a head of state against Iran is a shocking affront to the very essence of international peace and security,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei tweeted on Monday.
“Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The US can choose the course and concede to consequences.”
Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander Amirali Hajizadeh threatened U.S. forces in the Middle East, saying in remarks to media that “Americans have at least 10 bases in the region with 50,000 troops. They are in a glass house and should not throw stones.”
In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.
Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.
Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy programme. Tehran says its nuclear programme is wholly for civilian energy purposes.
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 3,876
- Likes
- 2,073
I don't think he is Christian, he is Hindu Brahmin person - highly educated. I respect him a lot.
All highly educated Bengali folks are of a socialist bent, as are educated Tam-Brahms, as are educated EU citizens. Education brings conscience, to level the playing field, and to give the have-nots in society a fair break in life. I feel the same way.
In any case, why does it matter?
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 3,876
- Likes
- 2,073
If he moved to another country, does it make him a non-Bengali? He will always remain an honored Bengali older brother to me. BTW the literacy rate in Barisaal is off the charts. The highest educated people in Bangladesh. Bangladeshis respect that fact - a lot.His family moved from east Pak, what is now BD. Ancestral village Barishaal, hence Doc's nickname for him, the Barishaal Bomber
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 18,066
- Likes
- 8,549
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
Iran rejects Trump call for direct nuclear talks
Iran’s top diplomat has dismissed direct negotiations with the United States as pointless, his office said Sunday, after US president Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks over its nuclear programme...
www.newagebd.net
Iran rejects Trump call for direct nuclear talks
Agence France-Presse . Tehran 06 April, 2025, 22:33
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. | AFP photo
Iran’s top diplomat has dismissed direct negotiations with the United States as pointless, his office said Sunday, after US president Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks over its nuclear programme.
Trump sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month calling for negotiations but warning of military action if diplomacy failed.
On Thursday, the US president said he favoured ‘direct talks’, arguing they were ‘faster’ and offered a better understanding than going through intermediaries.
But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said direct talks made no sense with a country ‘that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials’.
‘We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations,’ he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his ministry.
‘Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty.’
On Saturday, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the United States on an ‘equal footing’.
He also questioned Washington’s sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying ‘if you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?’
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution with some regional countries like Oman playing a mediating role between the two sides.
Trump’s letter was delivered to Iran via the United Arab Emirates, and Tehran responded at the end of March via the Sultanate of Oman.
On Sunday, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, said Iran’s response stressed that ‘we seek peace in the region’.
‘We are not the ones who start wars, but we will respond to any threat with all our might,’ he said of the content of Iran’s response.
Western countries, led by the United States, have for decades accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran rejects the allegation and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian purposes.
In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States, France, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, to limit its nuclear activities.
The 2015 agreement — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon.
In 2018, during Trump’s first term in office, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated biting sanctions on Iran.
A year later, Iran began rolling back on its commitments under the agreement and accelerated its nuclear programme.
On Monday, Ali Larijani, a close adviser to Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it would ‘have no choice but to do so’ in the event of an attack against it.
Agence France-Presse . Tehran 06 April, 2025, 22:33
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. | AFP photo
Iran’s top diplomat has dismissed direct negotiations with the United States as pointless, his office said Sunday, after US president Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks over its nuclear programme.
Trump sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month calling for negotiations but warning of military action if diplomacy failed.
On Thursday, the US president said he favoured ‘direct talks’, arguing they were ‘faster’ and offered a better understanding than going through intermediaries.
But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said direct talks made no sense with a country ‘that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials’.
‘We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations,’ he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his ministry.
‘Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty.’
On Saturday, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the United States on an ‘equal footing’.
He also questioned Washington’s sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying ‘if you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?’
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution with some regional countries like Oman playing a mediating role between the two sides.
Trump’s letter was delivered to Iran via the United Arab Emirates, and Tehran responded at the end of March via the Sultanate of Oman.
On Sunday, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, said Iran’s response stressed that ‘we seek peace in the region’.
‘We are not the ones who start wars, but we will respond to any threat with all our might,’ he said of the content of Iran’s response.
Western countries, led by the United States, have for decades accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran rejects the allegation and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian purposes.
In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States, France, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, to limit its nuclear activities.
The 2015 agreement — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon.
In 2018, during Trump’s first term in office, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated biting sanctions on Iran.
A year later, Iran began rolling back on its commitments under the agreement and accelerated its nuclear programme.
On Monday, Ali Larijani, a close adviser to Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it would ‘have no choice but to do so’ in the event of an attack against it.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 18,066
- Likes
- 8,549
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
Trump announces direct nuclear talks with Iran
Donald Trump answers a reporters question during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP
President Donald Trump said the United States was starting direct, high-level talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday, in a shock announcement during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Tehran, but warned that the Islamic republic would be in "great danger" if the talks failed.
Hours later Tehran confirmed discussions were set for Saturday in Oman, but stressed they were "indirect" talks.
"Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media platform X.
"It is as much an opportunity as it is a test," he added. "The ball is in America's court."
Netanyahu meanwhile said the United States and Israel were working on another deal to free hostages from war-torn Gaza, where a ceasefire between Israel and Iran's ally Hamas has collapsed.
"We're dealing with the Iranians, we have a very big meeting on Saturday and we're dealing with them directly," Trump told reporters after a meeting that was meant to focus on Israel's bid to avoid US tariffs.
Trump did not say where the talks would take place, but insisted they would not involve surrogates and would be at "almost the highest level."
Trump's stunning announcement came a day after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the country's nuclear program, calling the idea pointless.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018, during his first presidency, and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, however.
"I think if the talks aren't successful with Iran, I think Iran's going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it, great danger, because they can't have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Meanwhile officials said that Russia, China and Iran were due to hold consultations on the Iranian nuclear issue on Tuesday in Moscow.
Trump's revelation came as Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to personally plead for a reprieve from stinging US tariffs that have shaken the world.
The Israeli premier pledged to eliminate the trade deficit between the two countries and also knock down trade "barriers."
His country moved to lift its last remaining tariffs on US imports ahead of the meeting.
- Gaza talks -
Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Gaza, where a short-lived, US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas has collapsed.
Netanyahu said new negotiations were in the works aimed at freeing more hostages taken by Hamas during its unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which ignited the war.
"We're working now on another deal that we hope will succeed, and we're committed to getting all the hostages out," he said.
Trump also doubled down on his plan for the United States to "control" the Gaza Strip, which he described as a "great piece of real estate." He initially announced that plan when Netanyahu last visited him in February.
Earlier, Trump greeted Netanyahu outside the West Wing and pumped his fist, before the two leaders went inside for a meeting in the Oval Office.
Their planned press conference was canceled at short notice without explanation -- an unusual move. But they spoke to a smaller group of pool reporters at length in the Oval Office.
The Israeli premier's visit is his second to Washington since Trump's return to power, and comes at short notice -- just days after the president slapped a 17 percent tariff on Israel in his "Liberation Day" announcement last week.
Trump refused to exempt the top beneficiary of US military aid from his global tariff salvo as he said Washington had a significant trade deficit with Israel.
Netanyahu met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday soon after his arrival, according to his office.
The Israeli premier also met Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday.
Donald Trump answers a reporters question during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP
President Donald Trump said the United States was starting direct, high-level talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday, in a shock announcement during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Tehran, but warned that the Islamic republic would be in "great danger" if the talks failed.
Hours later Tehran confirmed discussions were set for Saturday in Oman, but stressed they were "indirect" talks.
"Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media platform X.
"It is as much an opportunity as it is a test," he added. "The ball is in America's court."
Netanyahu meanwhile said the United States and Israel were working on another deal to free hostages from war-torn Gaza, where a ceasefire between Israel and Iran's ally Hamas has collapsed.
"We're dealing with the Iranians, we have a very big meeting on Saturday and we're dealing with them directly," Trump told reporters after a meeting that was meant to focus on Israel's bid to avoid US tariffs.
Trump did not say where the talks would take place, but insisted they would not involve surrogates and would be at "almost the highest level."
Trump's stunning announcement came a day after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the country's nuclear program, calling the idea pointless.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018, during his first presidency, and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, however.
"I think if the talks aren't successful with Iran, I think Iran's going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it, great danger, because they can't have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Meanwhile officials said that Russia, China and Iran were due to hold consultations on the Iranian nuclear issue on Tuesday in Moscow.
Trump's revelation came as Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to personally plead for a reprieve from stinging US tariffs that have shaken the world.
The Israeli premier pledged to eliminate the trade deficit between the two countries and also knock down trade "barriers."
His country moved to lift its last remaining tariffs on US imports ahead of the meeting.
- Gaza talks -
Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Gaza, where a short-lived, US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas has collapsed.
Netanyahu said new negotiations were in the works aimed at freeing more hostages taken by Hamas during its unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which ignited the war.
"We're working now on another deal that we hope will succeed, and we're committed to getting all the hostages out," he said.
Trump also doubled down on his plan for the United States to "control" the Gaza Strip, which he described as a "great piece of real estate." He initially announced that plan when Netanyahu last visited him in February.
Earlier, Trump greeted Netanyahu outside the West Wing and pumped his fist, before the two leaders went inside for a meeting in the Oval Office.
Their planned press conference was canceled at short notice without explanation -- an unusual move. But they spoke to a smaller group of pool reporters at length in the Oval Office.
The Israeli premier's visit is his second to Washington since Trump's return to power, and comes at short notice -- just days after the president slapped a 17 percent tariff on Israel in his "Liberation Day" announcement last week.
Trump refused to exempt the top beneficiary of US military aid from his global tariff salvo as he said Washington had a significant trade deficit with Israel.
Netanyahu met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday soon after his arrival, according to his office.
The Israeli premier also met Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 18,066
- Likes
- 8,549
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
Iran says deal can be reached if US shows goodwill
Iran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday he believed a new nuclear deal could be agreed with the United States provided Tehran’s long-time foe shows sufficient goodwill in talks to begin in Oman on Saturday...
www.newagebd.net
Iran says deal can be reached if US shows goodwill
Agence France-Presse . Tehran 08 April, 2025, 22:38
Iran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday he believed a new nuclear deal could be agreed with the United States provided Tehran’s long-time foe shows sufficient goodwill in talks to begin in Oman on Saturday.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s principal aim remained the lifting of sweeping US sanctions. Their reimposition by President Donald Trump in 2018 has dealt a heavy blow to the Iranian economy.
Trump made the surprise announcement that his administration would open talks with Iran during a White House meeting on Monday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is an arch foe of Tehran.
Trump said the talks would be ‘direct’ but Araghchi insisted his negotiations with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday would be ‘indirect’.
‘We will not accept any other form of negotiation,’ Araghchi told official media. ‘The format of the negotiations is not the most important thing in my view. What really counts is the effectiveness or otherwise of the talks.
‘If the other side shows enough of the necessary willingess, a deal can be found. The ball is in America’s court.’
Speaking Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Tehran, but warned that the Islamic republic would be in ‘great danger’ if the talks failed.
‘We’re dealing with the Iranians, we have a very big meeting on Saturday and we’re dealing with them directly,’ Trump told reporters.
Trump’s announcement came after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the country’s nuclear activities, calling the idea pointless.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018, during his first presidency, and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, however.
‘I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran’s going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it, great danger, because they can’t have a nuclear weapon,’ he said.
In an interview with US network NBC late last month. Trump went further. ‘If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,’ he said.
China and Russia held consultations with Iran in Moscow on Tuesday, after which the Kremlin welcomed the planned talks.
Key Iranian ally Russia welcomed the prospect of negotiations for a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that was unilaterally abandoned by Trump in 2018.
‘We know that certain contacts — direct and indirect — are planned in Oman. And, of course, this can only be welcomed because it can lead to de-escalation of tensions around Iran,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Moscow ‘absolutely’ supported the initiative.
China called on the United States to ‘stop its wrong practice of using force to exert extreme pressure’ after Trump threatened Iran with bombing if it fails to agree a deal.
‘As the country that unilaterally withdrew from the comprehensive agreement on the Iran nuclear issue and caused the current situation, the United States should demonstrate political sincerity and mutual respect,’ its foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
Washington should ‘participate in dialogue and consultation, and at the same time stop its wrong practice of using force to exert extreme pressure’, Lin added.
The Israeli prime minister, whose government has also threatened military action against Iran to prevent it developing a nuclear weapon, held talks with Witkoff as well as Trump on Monday.
Netanyahu was a bitter opponent of the 2015 agreement between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States which Trump later abandoned.
That deal saw Iran receive relief from international sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear activities overseen by the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Trump’s withdrawal from the deal was followed by an Iranian decision one year later to stop complying with its own obligations under the deal.
The result has been that Iran has built up large stocks of highly enriched uranium that leave it a short step from weapons grade.
In its latest quarterly report in February, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent. Weapons grade is around 90 per cent.
Agence France-Presse . Tehran 08 April, 2025, 22:38
Iran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday he believed a new nuclear deal could be agreed with the United States provided Tehran’s long-time foe shows sufficient goodwill in talks to begin in Oman on Saturday.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s principal aim remained the lifting of sweeping US sanctions. Their reimposition by President Donald Trump in 2018 has dealt a heavy blow to the Iranian economy.
Trump made the surprise announcement that his administration would open talks with Iran during a White House meeting on Monday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is an arch foe of Tehran.
Trump said the talks would be ‘direct’ but Araghchi insisted his negotiations with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday would be ‘indirect’.
‘We will not accept any other form of negotiation,’ Araghchi told official media. ‘The format of the negotiations is not the most important thing in my view. What really counts is the effectiveness or otherwise of the talks.
‘If the other side shows enough of the necessary willingess, a deal can be found. The ball is in America’s court.’
Speaking Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Tehran, but warned that the Islamic republic would be in ‘great danger’ if the talks failed.
‘We’re dealing with the Iranians, we have a very big meeting on Saturday and we’re dealing with them directly,’ Trump told reporters.
Trump’s announcement came after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the country’s nuclear activities, calling the idea pointless.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018, during his first presidency, and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, however.
‘I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran’s going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it, great danger, because they can’t have a nuclear weapon,’ he said.
In an interview with US network NBC late last month. Trump went further. ‘If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,’ he said.
China and Russia held consultations with Iran in Moscow on Tuesday, after which the Kremlin welcomed the planned talks.
Key Iranian ally Russia welcomed the prospect of negotiations for a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that was unilaterally abandoned by Trump in 2018.
‘We know that certain contacts — direct and indirect — are planned in Oman. And, of course, this can only be welcomed because it can lead to de-escalation of tensions around Iran,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Moscow ‘absolutely’ supported the initiative.
China called on the United States to ‘stop its wrong practice of using force to exert extreme pressure’ after Trump threatened Iran with bombing if it fails to agree a deal.
‘As the country that unilaterally withdrew from the comprehensive agreement on the Iran nuclear issue and caused the current situation, the United States should demonstrate political sincerity and mutual respect,’ its foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
Washington should ‘participate in dialogue and consultation, and at the same time stop its wrong practice of using force to exert extreme pressure’, Lin added.
The Israeli prime minister, whose government has also threatened military action against Iran to prevent it developing a nuclear weapon, held talks with Witkoff as well as Trump on Monday.
Netanyahu was a bitter opponent of the 2015 agreement between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States which Trump later abandoned.
That deal saw Iran receive relief from international sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear activities overseen by the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Trump’s withdrawal from the deal was followed by an Iranian decision one year later to stop complying with its own obligations under the deal.
The result has been that Iran has built up large stocks of highly enriched uranium that leave it a short step from weapons grade.
In its latest quarterly report in February, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent. Weapons grade is around 90 per cent.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 18,066
- Likes
- 8,549
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
Witkoff and Araghchi: The men leading US-Iran nuclear talks
With no prior experience in foreign policy, he landed one of the world's biggest jobs as US President Donald Trump's special envoy to
en.prothomalo.com
Witkoff and Araghchi: The men leading US-Iran nuclear talks
AFP Dubai
Published: 10 Apr 2025, 20: 23
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Masoud Pezeshkian (2nd R) and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami (R) during the "National Day of Nuclear Technology", in Tehran, on 9 April 2025. AFP
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will be in Oman for breakthrough talks on Tehran's nuclear programme this weekend.
Here are short profiles of the two negotiators:
Witkoff: real estate to world stage
With no prior experience in foreign policy, he landed one of the world's biggest jobs as US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, and has since led high-stakes talks on Gaza and Ukraine.
Real estate magnate Steve Witkoff first stepped into the spotlight when his close friend Trump credited him with sealing a truce in the Israel-Hamas war.
While the ceasefire collapsed weeks later, it did enable the release of 25 living hostages and the return of eight others' remains.
Witkoff, a 68-year-old billionaire and a regular golfing partner of Trump's, later became the first US official to visit Gaza since the war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel.
He defended Trump's stunning suggestion that he wanted to "take over" the Palestinian territory and move out its two million inhabitants.
"When the president talks about cleaning it out, he talks about making it habitable, and this is a long-range plan," Witkoff told reporters at the White House.
Witkoff has also spearheaded negotiations on Ukraine, with Trump U-turning on his predecessor Joe Biden's policy on Russia.
He was in Russia to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin when a scandal erupted over a leaked Yemen air strike chat on the Signal app that involved National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other officials.
Witkoff himself has drawn criticism from Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky over his praise for Putin and for appearing to legitimise Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine.
In March, he was Trump's man in Saudi Arabia for talks on Ukraine, voicing optimism that any agreement struck could pave the way for a "full-on" ceasefire.
Trump has made it a foreign policy goal to end wars that Biden could not stop, meaning that the stakes could hardly be higher for Witkoff.
Ultimately, Witkoff's win in Gaza was short-lived, with US ally Israel restarting intense strikes on 18 March.
On Ukraine, the Russian president has yet to accept a long-term truce.
Born on 15 March 1957, in the New York borough of the Bronx, Witkoff made his fortune in real estate, first as a corporate lawyer and then at the head of big realty firms.
In 1997, he founded the Witkoff Group, which describes itself as "one part developer, one part investor (and) one part landscape-changer." His wife and a son work there.
Araghchi: Iran's career diplomat
A career diplomat and key architect of the 2015 nuclear accord, Araghchi will be pushing the United States to lift its punishing sanctions on Iran.
The 62-year-old, who hails from a family of carpet traders, is fluent in English and has a long career spanning multiple roles in Iran's foreign ministry.
With his crisp beard and salt-and-pepper hair, Araghchi is known for his calm demeanour. He typically wears a suit and a tie-less white mandarin-collared shirt, a standard look among Iranian diplomats.
He holds a bachelor's degree from the foreign ministry's Faculty of International Relations, a master's in political science from the Islamic Azad University, and a doctorate in political thought from the University of Kent in England.
Following the 1979 Islamic revolution, Araghchi joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He served on the front lines during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s before joining the foreign ministry as an expert on international affairs.
Araghchi was appointed foreign minister after President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has called for reviving talks with the West, took office in July.
He was the chief negotiator at the talks that culminated in the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) fell apart after the United States, during Donald Trump's first term, unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed sweeping economic sanctions.
Araghchi remains a fervent supporter of the deal but said in a recent interview with Khabar Online news agency that the JCPOA "cannot be revived in its current form and text."
"Our nuclear programme has advanced significantly and we can no longer return to the conditions of the JCPOA," he said, adding that the deal "can still be a basis and a model for negotiations".
AFP Dubai
Published: 10 Apr 2025, 20: 23
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Masoud Pezeshkian (2nd R) and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami (R) during the "National Day of Nuclear Technology", in Tehran, on 9 April 2025. AFP
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will be in Oman for breakthrough talks on Tehran's nuclear programme this weekend.
Here are short profiles of the two negotiators:
Witkoff: real estate to world stage
With no prior experience in foreign policy, he landed one of the world's biggest jobs as US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, and has since led high-stakes talks on Gaza and Ukraine.
Real estate magnate Steve Witkoff first stepped into the spotlight when his close friend Trump credited him with sealing a truce in the Israel-Hamas war.
While the ceasefire collapsed weeks later, it did enable the release of 25 living hostages and the return of eight others' remains.
Witkoff, a 68-year-old billionaire and a regular golfing partner of Trump's, later became the first US official to visit Gaza since the war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel.
He defended Trump's stunning suggestion that he wanted to "take over" the Palestinian territory and move out its two million inhabitants.
"When the president talks about cleaning it out, he talks about making it habitable, and this is a long-range plan," Witkoff told reporters at the White House.
Witkoff has also spearheaded negotiations on Ukraine, with Trump U-turning on his predecessor Joe Biden's policy on Russia.
He was in Russia to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin when a scandal erupted over a leaked Yemen air strike chat on the Signal app that involved National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other officials.
Witkoff himself has drawn criticism from Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky over his praise for Putin and for appearing to legitimise Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine.
In March, he was Trump's man in Saudi Arabia for talks on Ukraine, voicing optimism that any agreement struck could pave the way for a "full-on" ceasefire.
Trump has made it a foreign policy goal to end wars that Biden could not stop, meaning that the stakes could hardly be higher for Witkoff.
Ultimately, Witkoff's win in Gaza was short-lived, with US ally Israel restarting intense strikes on 18 March.
On Ukraine, the Russian president has yet to accept a long-term truce.
Born on 15 March 1957, in the New York borough of the Bronx, Witkoff made his fortune in real estate, first as a corporate lawyer and then at the head of big realty firms.
In 1997, he founded the Witkoff Group, which describes itself as "one part developer, one part investor (and) one part landscape-changer." His wife and a son work there.
Araghchi: Iran's career diplomat
A career diplomat and key architect of the 2015 nuclear accord, Araghchi will be pushing the United States to lift its punishing sanctions on Iran.
The 62-year-old, who hails from a family of carpet traders, is fluent in English and has a long career spanning multiple roles in Iran's foreign ministry.
With his crisp beard and salt-and-pepper hair, Araghchi is known for his calm demeanour. He typically wears a suit and a tie-less white mandarin-collared shirt, a standard look among Iranian diplomats.
He holds a bachelor's degree from the foreign ministry's Faculty of International Relations, a master's in political science from the Islamic Azad University, and a doctorate in political thought from the University of Kent in England.
Following the 1979 Islamic revolution, Araghchi joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He served on the front lines during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s before joining the foreign ministry as an expert on international affairs.
Araghchi was appointed foreign minister after President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has called for reviving talks with the West, took office in July.
He was the chief negotiator at the talks that culminated in the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) fell apart after the United States, during Donald Trump's first term, unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed sweeping economic sanctions.
Araghchi remains a fervent supporter of the deal but said in a recent interview with Khabar Online news agency that the JCPOA "cannot be revived in its current form and text."
"Our nuclear programme has advanced significantly and we can no longer return to the conditions of the JCPOA," he said, adding that the deal "can still be a basis and a model for negotiations".
