TEHRAN: Iran has called on the United States to assess its national interests independently of Israeli influence as negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme continue.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said talks were ongoing and that regional countries were working to help ensure their success.
Larijani said a letter conveying Tehran’s positions had been sent to Washington via Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister, but no official response had yet been received.
He reiterated that Iran remains open to cooperation and supports continued dialogue, noting there was shared ground between Tehran and Washington on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — something Iran insists it is not pursuing.
Missile programme ‘not negotiable.’
Larijani stressed that negotiations should not be prolonged and firmly ruled out including Iran’s missile programme in the talks.
“Our missile programme stands entirely separate from the nuclear one. It is a domestic matter, basically linked to our national security. As such, it cannot be part of these negotiations,” he said.
He also rejected the idea of reducing uranium enrichment to zero, calling it impractical for a country that has already mastered the technology.
“It is impractical for a country that has already mastered this technology to reduce it to zero,” he said, arguing that enriched uranium is required for peaceful purposes such as medical research and treatment.
Accusations against Israel
Larijani accused Israel of attempting to interfere in the negotiations and destabilise the region.
“Our negotiations are exclusively with the United States. We are not engaged in any talks with Israel,” he said. “However, Israel has inserted itself into this process, with their intent on undermining and sabotaging these negotiations.”
He added that Iran is prepared for potential threats and is willing to cooperate with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye to maintain regional stability.
Commenting on the 12-day war with Israel in June last year, Larijani acknowledged shortcomings in Iran’s intelligence capabilities but said security measures had since been strengthened. He added that Israel’s attack had fostered national unity within Iran.
