Commencing on April 12, the nuclear negotiations represent the most high-level engagement between the longstanding adversaries since the United States withdrew from a historic agreement between Iran and global powers in 2018, during the first term of President Donald Trump.
On the eve of fresh nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, Iran threatened to blame the US for any Israeli strike on its nuclear installations.
The warning followed CNN’s story on Tuesday that Israel was preparing to attack Iranian nuclear sites in spite of the ongoing US-Iran discussions, which cited anonymous US officials.
In a letter to the UN on Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated, “We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility.”
“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime and will respond decisively to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Araghchi said.
Since the United States withdrew from a historic agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, the nuclear discussions, which started on April 12, represent the greatest level of communication between the longstanding adversaries.
A fifth round is scheduled for Friday in Rome, according to Oman, which has mediated the negotiations.
According to a person familiar with the plans, the US team will include Michael Anton, the State Department’s head of policy planning who has been involved in technical issues, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s friend and world-traveling negotiator.
Enrichment has been a major area of contention in the negotiations. Former President Barack Obama signed an agreement with Iran in 2015 that permitted Iran to enrich uranium at low levels for use only in civilian purposes.
Currently, the Islamic Republic enriches 60 percent uranium, which is below the 90 percent required for a nuclear bomb but significantly higher than the 3.67 percent limit imposed in the 2015 agreement.
Sanctions Over Missiles
During a trip to Qatar last week, Trump, who has pledged to improve on the Obama deal, stated that he thought Iran had agreed to important terms and that his diplomacy would prevent a military confrontation.
During his congressional testimony on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that the Trump administration would not tolerate any enrichment.
“Iran cannot have an enrichment capability, because that ultimately makes them a threshold nuclear power,” Rubio stated.
Trump’s 2018 broad sanctions, which include fines on all nations to stop them from buying Iran’s main export, gasoline, have left Iran seeking respite.
In response to a lawmaker’s query, Rubio implied that the US would continue to impose sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile development, a subject not specifically included in the 2015 deal.
“Sanctions pertaining to their ballistic missile development, terrorism, and similar matters are in place.” Those sanctions will stay in effect if they are not included in the agreement,” he stated.
Rubio said it was no secret that Israel has been researching military options, but he did not respond to the CNN report.
‘Devastating Response’
Despite Trump’s opposition, Israel, Iran’s sworn nemesis, has threatened to use force on Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, Ali Mohammad Naini, threatened a “devastating” reaction to an Israeli attack on Thursday.
“If the delusional Zionist regime commits a foolish act and launches an attack, it will definitely receive a devastating and decisive response in its small and vulnerable geography,” stated Naini, as reported by ISNA.
According to the official IRNA news agency, the Iranian army’s ground troops also displayed three new drones on Thursday, expanding their inventory to include two reconnaissance and one kamikaze drone.
Earlier in the day, protesters gathered to express support for Iran’s nuclear activities near the Fordow nuclear enrichment complex south of Tehran.
Proclamations like “Nuclear energy is our inalienable right” and “No compromise, no surrender, only confrontation with America” were screamed by the throng as they waved Iranian flags.
Iran commonly refers to Israel as the “Zionist regime” and does not recognize it. The two nations have been engaged in a shadow war for many years.
Last year, amid rising regional tensions brought on by the Gaza conflict, the two adversaries engaged in their first direct attack.
