This week, governments of France, Germany and the UK issued a statement raising concerns that Iran has not endured its nuclear deal commitment.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a new call for negotiations a day after President Donald Trump announced he had reached out to him in an attempt to launch negotiations on a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
In his first term, Trump withdraws the US from Iran’s nuclear deal and reimposes sanctions while seeking a new contract to curb the country’s nuclear program. Other signatories remain parties to the transaction, raising concerns about Iran that exceeds the uranium stockpile and enrichment levels designated under the original framework.
“Iran says it has not fulfilled its nuclear commitment. So have you met?” Khamenei said on March 8, in response to European countries.
Khamenei’s reactive response to new negotiations and calls for concern over Iran’s nuclear programme raises the prospects of armed conflicts.
Trump threatens military action
In an interview with Fox Business on March 7, Trump said he would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
Related Stories
“There are two ways to deal with Iran: military or you make a deal.” “I prefer to make a deal because I’m not trying to hurt Iran.”
Trump said he hopes Tehran will respond to his diplomatic outreach.
“If we have to go militarily, it’s going to be awful,” he said.
“The Iranian people are great people, but they have a tough regime, they will meet and they will be shot on the streets.”
Trump has yet to respond to Khamenei’s obvious rejection. In a business interview with Fox, the president suggested that time is very important.
“We can make a deal that will be good as if you were a military winner, but now time is happening, the time is coming,” he said.
President Donald Trump will speak after signing an executive order at the White House Oval Office on March 6, 2025. Alex Wong/Getty Images
Last month, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran has stockpiled around 605 pounds of 60% enriched uranium. Iran needs to concentrate uranium to 90% to achieve weapons-grade skin sensation.
The IAEA is raising alarms about the levels of uranium enrichment that Iran has already reached.
“The significant increase in the production and accumulation of highly reinforced uranium by Iran, the only nuclear-weapon state that produces such nuclear material, is a serious concern,” the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog wrote in a report last month.
Tehran distances himself from the lecture
Last summer, Khamenei expressed some openness to his discussions with Washington, saying that involvement with the “enemy” was “no harm.” Since Trump returned to the White House, Tehran’s openness to talks appears to have decreased.
Last month, Trump issued a statement that the US and Israel are rumoured to work to “blow Iran down to the blacksmith.” While underestimating the threat of military action, Trump moved to reimpose his first term of office on the same day. The strategy calls for revoking Iran’s existing sanctions exemptions, imposing new sanctions and encouraging allies and partners to do the same.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut argued that Iran is willing to work with the Trump administration, but that a new campaign of sanctions from Washington would not work.
“Maximum pressure is a failed experiment, and if you try again it leads to another failure,” Araguchi told reporters on February 5.
Araguchi said if Washington is worried about Iran getting a nuclear weapon, it could rely on assurance that Tehran is not pursuing such capabilities.
On November 5th, 2019, a centrifuge was carried out at the Natanturan enrichment facility in Iran. Iran’s atomic energy organization via AP
“Iran’s position is clear. It is a member of the non-proliferation treaty, and Supreme Leader Fatwa has already made clear our stance (on weapons of mass destruction),” Araguchi said in a statement on February 5th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
