Foreign minister calls Iran-E3 status quo lose-lose, urges nuclear diplomacy

US secretary of state Marco Rubio ruled out allowing any Iranian uranium enrichment, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks would stumble if US demands stray from a sole focus on nuclear weapons.

"If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, and that is they import enriched material," US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in an interview with The Free Press podcast.

"There’s a pathway to a civil, peaceful nuclear program if they want one. But if they insist on enriching, then they will be the only country in the world that doesn’t have a 'weapons program,' quote-unquote, but is enriching. And so I think that’s problematic."

The UN nuclear watchdog said last month that Iran is only non-nuclear armed state enriching uranium to 60%. Several countries which do not possess nuclear weapons, including Japan, Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands, enrich uranium at lower levels.

Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and has said its nuclear program is peaceful and marks a national scientific accomplishment. Israel, the United States and other Western countries question Tehran's intentions.

The United Nations permits uranium enrichment as part of peaceful nuclear technology and Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Iranian officialdom has repeatedly said Iran's enrichment is not up for discussion.

"If America’s only demand is that Iran not possess nuclear weapons, that demand is attainable and we can meet it," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

"But if (Washington) makes impractical and unreasonable demands, it’s natural that we will run into problems."

Araghchi's hosts, nuclear-armed US rival China, appeared to confirm its alignment with Iran's position while blessing the talks with Washington.

"China appreciates Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, respects Iran's right to peacefully use nuclear energy and supports Iran in conducting dialogue with all parties including the United States to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests through consultation and negotiation, "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

'Out of compliance'

Calling Iran "nuclear-ambitious", Rubio criticized a 2015 international nuclear deal from which US President Donald Trump withdrew in his first term and vowed to seek more permanent curbs on Iran's nuclear activity.

"The previous deal was bad for a number of reasons. It gave Iran immediate and full sanctions relief in exchange for enrichment capabilities that at any point could be weaponized in the future," Rubio said.

"They got to keep that permanently, they got to keep the sanctions relief permanently, and they only had to live by the enrichment limitations for a defined period of time."

Iran and the United States are due to hold a third round of indirect nuclear talks on Saturday in Rome after both sides described the previous two rounds as constructive.

Last week, Rubio warned that Iran is nearing a nuclear weapons capability and urged European allies to consider reimposing UN sanctions on Iran under the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism.

Iran has accumulated nearly 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Fellow signatories Germany, France and the United Kingdom can use their authority under the agreement to reimpose UN sanctions.

The deal’s final sunset clause is set to expire in October.

“We are committed to what the Lebanese agree upon,” Amani said in an interview with Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV on Wednesday in a reversal of remarks made last week which caused him to be summoned by Lebanon's Foreign Ministry.

Last week Amani warned against what he called a disarmament “conspiracy,” saying on X: “We in the Islamic Republic of Iran understand the danger of this conspiracy and its threat to the security of the region’s peoples.

"We warn others against falling into the enemy's trap. Preserving deterrent capability is the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence and must not be compromised.”

Amani also confirmed he had not attended the ministry's summons. “I was informed of the Foreign Ministry’s request regarding my posts about weapons, but I apologized for not attending,” he said in Al Jadeed TV interview. “No new date has been set.”

His comments come after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said last week that he hopes Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by countries including the US, UK and EU, can be disarmed or brought under state control this year, following what he described as a significant weakening of the group during Israel’s recent military campaign.

The Iran-backed group is currently in the midst of a fragile US and France-brokered ceasefire with Israel which began in November. Both sides report dozens of breaches.

The debate has exposed unexpected fractures: US President Donald Trump’s own allies are split, while some longtime democratic critics of the president have cautiously praised his approach—highlighting the unpredictability of the current diplomatic moment.

Robert Malley, the former Biden administration Iran envoy who was sidelined for allegedly mishandling classified information, told The Free Beacon he is “optimistic” about Trump’s upcoming nuclear talks with Iran.

Meanwhile, traditional opponents of diplomacy with Iran are sounding alarms. Republican Senator Ted Cruz posted on X that “anyone urging Trump to enter into another Obama Iran deal is giving the President terrible advice,” calling for unified support behind the idea that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Other hawkish GOP lawmakers have echoed that sentiment. In recent days, a group of Republican members of Congress sent a letter to Trump, urging him to pursue a Libya-style full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program—an approach that would go far beyond the terms of the original JCPOA.

Trump's former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley posted online that she had previously raised alarm bells over Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence: “There is no room for Iranian sympathizers in the national security team of the US.”

Confusion

But the rift may be rooted in Trump himself, says Greg Brew, an Iran analyst with the Eurasia Group.

“The fact that it is Trump who is sort of leading the charge to get a new deal with Iran when he himself departed the original JCPOA in 2018, called it the worst deal in history," Brew said, referring to an original 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

"Making this even more confusing, there is a decent chance that he himself favors the return to a deal that would look very similar to the JCPOA,”

Speaking on Fox news earlier this month, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff seemed to suggest that a nuclear deal would permit Tehran to enrich uranium. A day later he appeared to walk back his comments and hardened his stance.

"A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal," Witkoff's official account on X quoted him as saying, adding that Iran must eliminate its nuclear enrichment.

Brew added the Trump team's ambiguous messaging is throwing both parties off balance.

“You have allies of Trump who hate the idea of diplomacy with Iran, who strongly back a military solution, perhaps even regime change of the Islamic Republic," Brew added. "Trump himself has said on numerous occasions that he's not interested in regime change, that he wants Iran to be successful, which is sort of throwing these groups into confusion."

Transformed political climate

Alex Vatanka, founding director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, told Iran International that the political landscape in 2025 is very different from when the JCPOA was first negotiated in 2015.

“The Republicans are in the majority and it's a Republican party that really doesn't want to say no to President Trump,” said Vatanka. “He probably has the best shot that I can think of any president in the last many years, if not decades.”

Vatanka noted that those with Trump’s ear right now are pushing for diplomacy, not confrontation.

“Right now, obviously with these ongoing talks, it's the folks who are arguing for diplomacy that seem to have the ear of President Donald J. Trump.”

As negotiations inch forward, Trump’s own political calculus—and how he chooses to navigate the diverse viewpoints on his home front—may determine whether US diplomacy succeeds or collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is traveling to Beijing on Tuesday with Ali Khamenei’s letter to Xi Jinping, a diplomatic source familiar with the message told Iran International.

The move comes days before Araghchi is expected to hold a third round of talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff.

“In his message to Xi, the Supreme Leader emphasized that the Islamic Republic remains fully committed to the 25-year cooperation agreement with China,” the source added.

“He added that Iran’s ‘Look to the East’ policy is a foundational pillar of its foreign relations and will not be altered by any rapprochement with Washington.”

The outreach comes as Iran’s role in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has remained marginal.

Despite close political ties and a comprehensive strategic agreement signed, Chinese investments in Iran have lagged far behind expectations. Only two major deals were struck between 2013 and 2023, with one later annulled following the US exit from a 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran and the United States this month engaged in two rounds of nuclear negotiations, first in Muscat and then in Rome, mediated by Oman. The initial talks in Muscat were described as "positive and constructive," with both sides agreeing to continue discussions the following week.

A third round of talks is slated for Saturday, as the two sides approach a 60-day deadline set by the US president for achieving a deal on Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

In late March, Trump threatened to bomb Iran and impose secondary sanctions if no nuclear deal is reached with Tehran.

Post-2015 opening to West 'won't be repeated’

According to the same diplomatic source, Khamenei’s message also referenced Iran’s cautious opening up to diplomacy and economic cooperation with the West following a 2015 nuclear agreement, telling Xi that such a change in orientation would not be repeated.

“The message was meant to reassure China that any agreement with the US is solely intended to reduce tensions,” the source said.

In his weekly press briefing on Monday, Iran's Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran continues to coordinate with allies, adding, “It is natural that we will brief China on the latest in the Iran-US talks.”

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Araghchi’s trip to Beijing mirrors a recent effort in which Iran’s foreign minister delivered a similar message from Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of earlier talks in Italy.

Though China remains Iran’s top trading partner, Chinese firms have signed far more lucrative contracts with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has escalated pressure on Iran by targeting Chinese teapot refineries—independent processors of Iranian crude that have served as a vital economic conduit for Tehran under sanctions.

“Russia’s role as a permanent Security Council member is important, and the nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia naturally gives it a key part to play,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Monday, according to Iranian media.

The remarks come as speculation grows over Russia’s potential role in Iran-US talks.

According to a Guardian report published Sunday, Russia could play a central role in any future nuclear deal, with Moscow being considered not only as a potential destination for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but also as a possible arbiter in the event of breaches to the agreement.

The report said that one option under discussion would allow Russia to "return the handed-over stockpile of highly enriched uranium to Tehran" if the US were to violate the deal, ensuring Iran is not penalized for American non-compliance.

Mohajerani said Iran is “hopeful the good management we’re seeing from that side [the US] will help move things in a positive direction,” but emphasized that Tehran will not accept prolonged negotiations.

“We do not welcome exhausting, lengthy negotiations. A good agreement that protects our national interests is possible in the short term," she added.

Reiterating the importance of sanctions relief, she said, “Lifting sanctions should have a real impact on people’s lives".

Only Sunday, she told the state news agency, “In the continuation of the negotiation path, we will welcome any practical initiative aimed at lifting sanctions".

Not only is Iran under sanctions for its nuclear program, but since the 2022 uprising, has been sanctioned for human rights abuses in addition to sanctions for its support of Russia's war on Ukraine.

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Saudi visit 'beyond ordinary,' signals deeper ties

Highlighting the country's strengthening ties with its Arab neighbors, Mohajerani described the recent visit of Saudi Arabia’s defense minister to Tehran as a significant and strategic development.

“This visit went beyond a routine trip,” she said. “It carried a message from the Saudi King and included important talks. It reflects Saudi Arabia’s resolve to deepen cooperation with Iran.”

The two nations had cut diplomatic ties between 2016 and 2023 after an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, but today, Iran views Saudi Arabia as a critical regional partner, she said.

Strengthening ties with neighbors—especially Muslim countries—is a priority under the Pezeshkian administration's foreign policy.

It has also seen growing ties with the United Arab Emirates, which also cut diplomatic relations in the wake of the Saudi embassy incident, until reinstating them in 2022.