KEY POINTS
- Iran warns Trump against considering military action ahead of nuclear talks in Oman
- Iranian Foreign Minister stresses Tehran would never accept threats or coercion
- Netanyahu said a military strike on Iran would become “inevitable” if talks stalled
- Trump confirmed nuclear talks with Iran would begin Saturday
- Iran denied direct engagement, stating only indirect talks via Oman were agreed
- China urged the US to act with political sincerity
- Trump offered to mediate between Israel and Turkiye
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday warned US President Donald Trump against considering a military option as nuclear talks are set to resume in Oman this weekend.
In an opinion piece published in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Araghchi stated that Tehran would never accept coercion or threats and urged the US to pursue diplomacy in good faith.
“To move forward today, we first need to agree that there can be no ‘military option,’ let alone a ‘military solution’,” Araghchi wrote, stressing that the Iranian nation would never bow to external pressure.
“The proud Iranian nation, whose strength my government relies on for real deterrence, will never accept coercion and imposition,” he added.
The warning came in response to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on the same day declared that a military strike against Iran would become “inevitable” if negotiations dragged on.
Trump himself reiterated on Monday that Iran would be in “great danger” if a deal was not reached, though he maintained that diplomacy remained the preferred path.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Netanyahu, Trump confirmed the start of talks with Iran.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen,” he said, expressing hope for a deal while keeping up pressure with the threat of military action.
Iran, however, disputed Trump’s claim of direct engagement. Araghchi, writing on social media on Monday, said that only “indirect” talks had been agreed upon.
Iranian state media reported that Araghchi would meet US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman, with Muscat acting as a mediator.
Oman previously facilitated the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.
Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and has dismissed any intention of building nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, China called on Washington to demonstrate “political sincerity and mutual respect.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian noted that the current impasse resulted from the US withdrawal from the previous nuclear deal and urged a responsible approach.
ALSO READ: China Urges US to Show “Sincerity” in Iran Nuclear Talks
Meanwhile, Trump’s alignment with Israel remained evident during Netanyahu’s visit to the White House.
The Israeli Prime Minister, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, said a new agreement was in the works following Israel’s March bombardment of the enclave.
“We’re committed to getting all the hostages out, but also eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza and enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want,” Netanyahu said.
On the Gaza conflict, Trump said: “I’d like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point that won’t be in the too-distant future,” without offering further detail.
Trump also expressed a desire to mediate between Israel and Turkiye, saying: “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think we can solve.”
He praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him “very smart,” and lauded Turkiye’s involvement in Syria, particularly referencing the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
