[🇮🇷] Iran & the USA Relationship

[Saif]

US has been pounding hezb, hamas hoosi and Iraqi militias for last two years and nothing has happened. Assad fell because both Russia and Iran withdrew support because he was just infiltrated by Mossad and NATO intelligence and because of his negligence Soleimani got killed along with many other IRGC commanders. So both dropped their support and he fell very quickly.

Rest of the resistance axis is doing good!

Final warning of Iranian deputy foreign minister to trump:



The US has basically surrendered to Iran in the negotiations.

Iran is being very brave. But can they survive a land attack by the US army? Iran should warn its neighbors that if any one of them let the US army use their land to launch an attack on Iran hundreds of missiles will be fired to annihilate them. Just make sure that no Iranian neighbor gives base facility to the USA. Peace.

 

[Saif]

Iran Guards say military capabilities ‘red lines’ in US talks

Trump addressed reporters on Monday regarding Iran, saying “I’ll solve that problem” and “That’s almost an easy one”.

en.prothomalo.com

Iran Guards say military capabilities ‘red lines’ in US talks
AFP Tehran
Published: 15 Apr 2025, 14: 06

A flag bearing a portrait of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah waves during the funeral on February 28, 2025 of 95 Hezbollah fighters and civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes during hostilities that lasted more than a year between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern Lebanese border town of Aitaroun AFP

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday the country’s military capabilities were off limits, ahead of a second round of talks with the United States on its nuclear programme.

“National security and defence and military power are among the red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which cannot be discussed or negotiated under any circumstances,” Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB.

Iran and the United States will hold another round of talks in Muscat on Saturday, a week after top officials met in the Omani capital for the highest-level discussions since the 2015 nuclear deal collapsed.

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the 2015 deal during his first term, has reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran since returning to office in January.

In March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if Tehran refused.

Trump addressed reporters on Monday regarding Iran, saying “I’ll solve that problem” and “That’s almost an easy one”.

The US leader also threatened to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and called Iranian authorities “radicals” who should not possess nuclear weapons.

Iran has repeatedly denied seeking an atomic bomb, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, especially the provision of energy.

‘Axis of resistance’

Late Sunday, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the country’s regional influence and its missile capabilities were among its “red lines” in the talks.

Tehran supports the “axis of resistance”—a network of militant groups opposed to Israel, including Yemen’s Huthi rebels, the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Shiite militia groups in Iraq.

On April 12, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, met with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman for “indirect” talks, according to Iranian officials and media.

The talks were the highest-level Iran-US nuclear negotiations since the collapse of the 2015 accord, formally known is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The accord offered Iran relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Both Tehran and Washington, enemies who have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, have called the latest round of negotiations “constructive”.

Araghchi’s office has said he will travel to Moscow at the end of this week for talks with Russia, a close ally of Iran and party to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Moscow welcomed the Iran-US talks as it pushed for a diplomatic solution and warned any military confrontation would be a “global catastrophe”.​

 

[Saif]

Thanks Iran, for refusing the bomb

COL Lawrence Wilkerson was the chief of staff of the US secretary of state Gen Colin Powell. He is today among the most vocal American critics of the US-sponsored war in Ukraine, the genocide of Palestinians by Israel and the US-Israeli plans to wage war on Iran...

www.newagebd.net

Thanks Iran, for refusing the bomb
Jawed Naqvi 16 April, 2025, 00:00

COL Lawrence Wilkerson was the chief of staff of the US secretary of state Gen Colin Powell. He is today among the most vocal American critics of the US-sponsored war in Ukraine, the genocide of Palestinians by Israel and the US-Israeli plans to wage war on Iran.

Wilkerson is certain, however, as are his former military associates, that if a war does break out against Iran, it is Iran that would win. And it would win not by acquiring the nuclear bomb, or by other means that would destroy the region and its neighbourhood, but by conventional and asymmetric methods to foil American superiority.

‘I recently met the man who did the war-gaming between Iran and the US years ago. He still believes the outcome he found then remains valid — that Iran would win a conventional war against the US.’

Iran’s vast experience of fighting wars, which it is never known to have started, goes back to the 1980s when it thwarted an Iraqi assault for eight years. US-backed Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons but could not prise away an inch of Iranian territory. I walked the barely two feet-wide uneven road snaking through the totally flattened erstwhile city of Khorramshahr. A wrong step on either side of the landmine-infested zone would be fatal, as it was sadly for Reuters colleague Najmul Hasan.

The war eventually came to an end when a US warship in the Gulf apparently mistakenly shot down an Iranian Airbus, killing hundreds of civilians in 1988. Iran has since spawned a bevy of fighting groups among Arab partners, training them to defend the quest for a free Palestine. Though the Houthi government and its fighters in Yemen no longer seek help from Iran, they have been readied to confront the might of powerful coalitions as they did against the Saudi-led war machinery. Like Iran, they remain sworn to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza come what may.

So how is Iran prepared to counter Donald Trump’s threats?

Trump says he would bomb Iran as never before if Tehran doesn’t strip itself of all its missiles, not just forsake nuclear weapons forever. Iran says the threat won’t work, but level-headed diplomacy could. The first round of indirect talks between Iran and the US ended on a positive note in Oman on Saturday. And there is distinct relief after many tense days that war may not be an option for Trump. Which implies that Benjamin Netanyahu would be left to fend for himself against the rising chorus of protests targeting him in Israel.

This reminds one of the four slogans Iranian worshippers raised during Friday prayers at Tehran University in the 1980s. As parliament speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani, Kalashnikov in left hand, signalled in between his religio-political sermon, the crowd chanted death to America, Israel, USSR and Saddam Hussein, probably in that order. Two of those wishes have been fulfilled. And the two remaining quarries are struggling to keep their democratic façade intact, and their restive people in check against heavy odds.

What made Col Wilkerson exude trust in Iran’s victory in a war with the US? He did so without the usual references to Vietnam and Afghanistan, where the US military suffered humiliating defeats. Wilkerson was talking about the outcome of US war games, which simulated conflict with Iran, particularly the Millennium Challenge 2002. The computerised outcome of MC02 revealed significant vulnerabilities in American military strategy and highlighted the effectiveness of asymmetric tactics. Iran was made the Red Team and the US was assigned the Blue Team.

Iran’s Red Team was led by retired Marine Lt-Gen Paul Van Riper. He employed unconventional tactics to devastating effect. Using motorcycle messengers, coded signals via mosque loudspeakers, and swarms of small boats armed with missiles, Red launched a surprise attack that overwhelmed the Blue Team.

A massive cruise missile salvo sank 16 US warships, including an aircraft carrier, and decimated amphibious forces, theoretically killing over 20,000 personnel. The simulated attack exploited gaps in Blue’s reliance on advanced technology and rigid command structures.

Interestingly, following the Red Team’s apparent success, the Pentagon suspended the exercise, ‘re-floated’ destroyed Blue forces, and imposed restrictions on Red’s tactics. Red was ordered to reveal anti-aircraft radar positions, avoid targeting paratroopers, and adhere to a script ensuring Blue’s eventual victory.

Van Riper criticised this as a betrayal of the exercise’s purpose. He resigned in protest. Critics say the $250 million mock war was turned into a scripted validation of existing US doctrines rather than a genuine test of the strengths of both sides.

Nowhere in the war games was the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran factored in. The unsung credit for this goes to Iran’s relentlessly demonised leadership, which staunchly opposes the making of a nuclear bomb. Ayatollah Khamenei would probably not accept any temporal award, let alone the Nobel Peace Prize should it be offered. This was not only because too many questionable people have been given the prize, belittling its importance, not least its Zionist racist recipients.

Seen objectively, one of the greatest and least acknowledged acts for global peace has come from the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has the capacity to build the nuclear bomb, but its revered leader will not allow that crucial half-screwdriver-turn even if the decision brings devastation to his people.

The moral spine of Iran and its supreme leaders, in particular, actually deserves a resounding applause. Khamenei’s 2003 fatwa against assembling a weapon of mass destruction has played an unsung role in keeping the world from untold harm.

There is enormous pressure on Khamenei from his countrymen to let Iran make the bomb. It was the only way to rein in Israel and thwart frequent challenges from US presidents, it’s been argued. But Khamenei has remained loyal to his innate wisdom that the bomb is an immoral device. For that he deserves our gratitude.

Dawn.com, April 15. Jawed Naqvi is Dawn’s correspondent in Delhi.​

 

[Saif]

Enrichment of uranium non-negotiable, says Iran FM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran’s enrichment of uranium as part of its nuclear programme was ‘non-negotiable’ after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff called for a halt...

www.newagebd.net

Enrichment of uranium non-negotiable, says Iran FM
Trump envoy urged halt

Agence France-Presse . Tehran 16 April, 2025, 21:41

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi | AFP file photo

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran’s enrichment of uranium as part of its nuclear programme was ‘non-negotiable’ after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff called for a halt.

‘Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted matter. We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,’ Araghchi told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The remarks came as Araghchi and Witkoff are due to meet again in Oman on Saturday, a week after they held the highest-level talks between the longtime foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal in 2018.

Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions in a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ against Tehran that he has reinstated since returning to office in January.

In March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging talks but warning of possible military action if they fail to produce a deal.

Both sides described Saturday’s meeting as ‘constructive’.

But on Tuesday, Witkoff said Iran must ‘stop and eliminate’ its enrichment of uranium as part of any nuclear deal.

He had previously demanded only that Iran return to the 3.67 per cent enrichment ceiling set by the 2015 accord between Iran and major powers that Trump withdrew from.

Araghchi condemned what he called the ‘contradictory and conflicting positions’ coming out of the Trump administration ahead of Saturday’s talks.

‘We will find out the true opinions of the Americans during the negotiation session,’ he said.

Iran’s top diplomat said he hoped to start negotiations on the framework of a possible agreement but said that required ‘constructive positions’ from the United States.

‘If we continue to (hear) contradictory and conflicting positions, we are going to have problems,’ he warned.

Araghchi is set to head to Iranian ally Russia on Thursday, Iran’s ambassador in Moscow Kazem Jalili said.

Iran has said the visit was ‘pre-planned’ but will include discussions on the Iran-US talks.

‘The objective of my trip to Russia is to convey a written message from the supreme leader’ to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Araghchi said.

In readiness for the US talks, Iran has engaged with Russia and China, which were both parties to the 2015 deal.

Ahead of Saturday’s second round of talks in Muscat, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said he hoped a deal could be reached with the United States, the official IRNA news agency reported.

On Tuesday, Khamenei cautioned that while the talks have proceeded well in their early stages, they could still prove fruitless.

‘The negotiations may or may not yield results,’ he said, noting that Iran had already outlined its ‘red lines’.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said the country’s military capabilities are off-limits in the talks.

Late on Sunday, IRNA said Iran’s regional influence and its missile capabilities — both sources of concern for Western governments — were also among its ‘red lines’.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi was due in Iran later Wednesday for talks with senior officials.

The UN watchdog was tasked with overseeing Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.

In its latest report, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent.

That level far exceeds the the 3.67 per cent ceiling set by the 2015 deal but still falls short of the 90 per cent threshold required for a nuclear warhead.​

 

[Saif]

Iran says nuclear deal is possible if Washington is realistic

Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday on the eve of a second round of talks with the Trump administration. "If they demonstrate seriousness of intent and do n

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Iran says nuclear deal is possible if Washington is realistic
REUTERS
Published :
Apr 18, 2025 21:21
Updated :
Apr 18, 2025 21:21

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo : Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS

Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday on the eve of a second round of talks with the Trump administration.

"If they demonstrate seriousness of intent and do not make unrealistic demands, reaching agreements is possible," Araqchi told a news conference in Moscow after talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia.

Iran had noted the United States' seriousness during a first round of talks on the deal, which took place in Oman last week, Araqchi said. The second round is set for Saturday in Rome.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it does not agree a deal with the United States over its nuclear programme, which Iran says is peaceful but the West says is aimed at building an atomic bomb.

Lavrov said that Russia was "ready to assist, mediate, and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the USA.".

Moscow has played a role in Iran's nuclear negotiations in the past as a veto-wielding U.N. Security Council member and signatory to an earlier deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent Araqchi to Moscow with a letter for President Vladimir Putin to brief the Kremlin about the negotiations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on Friday that the US administration is looking for a peaceful solution with Iran but will never tolerate the country developing a nuclear weapon.

US President Donald Trump will walk away from trying to broker peace in Ukraine within days unless there are signs of progress, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.​

 

[Saif]

Iran, US hold talks in Rome in bid to reach nuclear deal

Iran and the United States started a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday to resolve their decades-long standoff over Tehran's atomic aims, under the shadow of President Donald Trump's threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Iran, US hold talks in Rome in bid to reach nuclear deal
REUTERS
Published :
Apr 19, 2025 19:02
Updated :
Apr 19, 2025 20:21

Omani embassy, Rome, April 19, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri

Iran and the United States started a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday to resolve their decades-long standoff over Tehran's atomic aims, under the shadow of President Donald Trump's threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will negotiate indirectly through an Omani official who will shuttle messages between the two sides, Iranian officials said, a week after a first round of indirect talks in Muscat that both sides described as constructive.

Araqchi and Witkoff interacted briefly at the end of the first round, but officials from the two countries have not held direct negotiations since 2015 under former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Araqchi, in a meeting with his Italian counterpart ahead of the talks, said Iran had always been committed to diplomacy and called on "all parties involved in the talks to seize the opportunity to reach a reasonable and logical nuclear deal".

"Such an agreement should respect Iran's legitimate rights and lead to the lifting of unjust sanctions on the country while addressing any doubts about its nuclear work," Araqchi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

He said in Moscow on Friday that Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the U.S. is possible as long as Washington is realistic.

"Rome becomes the capital of peace and dialogue," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X. "I encouraged (Araqchi) to follow the path of negotiation against nuclear arms. The hope of the Italian government is that all together may find a positive solution for the Middle East."

Tehran has however sought to tamp down expectations of a quick deal, after some Iranian officials speculated that sanctions could be lifted soon. Iran's utmost authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this week he was "neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic".

For his part, Trump told reporters on Friday: "I'm for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific."

Meanwhile, Israel has not ruled out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to an Israeli official and two other people familiar with the matter.

Trump, who ditched a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six powers during his first term in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran, has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on the country since returning to the White House in January.

Washington wants Iran to halt production of highly enriched uranium, which it believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb.

Tehran, which has always maintained its nuclear programme is peaceful, says it is willing to negotiate some curbs in return for the lifting of sanctions, but wants watertight guarantees that Washington will not renege again.

Since 2019, Iran has breached and far surpassed the 2015 deal's limits on its uranium enrichment, producing stocks far above what the West says is necessary for a civilian energy programme.

A senior Iranian official, who described Iran's negotiating position on condition of anonymity, listed its red lines as never agreeing to dismantle its uranium enriching centrifuges, halt enrichment altogether or reduce its enriched uranium stockpile below levels agreed in the 2015 deal.

Iran also rejects negotiating about defence capabilities such as its ballistic missile program and the range of Tehran's domestically-produced missiles.

Russia, a party to Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement, has offered "to assist, mediate, and play any role" that will be beneficial to Iran and the US.​