Tehran not seeking nuclear bomb, president says

An Iranian analyst described the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States in Oman as highly sensitive and potentially transformative, suggesting their primary aim is to resolve decades of hostility between Tehran and Washington.

In a commentary, Ahmad Zeidabadi said the Muscat negotiations, involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff, differ significantly from previous engagements, which focused on technicalities or were seen as delaying tactics.

He said the success or failure of the talks have immense consequences.

Zeidabadi said that US President Donald Trump's primary objective has two levels: first, to end the long-standing animosity and foster mutual cooperation; and second, if normalization is rejected by Iran, to neutralize technological and military capabilities that Washington perceives as a threat.

Iran's parliamentary National Security Committee warned on Wednesday that any threat to its nuclear program would face a serious response, coinciding with the country’s National Nuclear Technology Day.

The committee said Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear technology under the NPT, pointing to its numerous benefits and criticizing the IAEA for alleged bias.

It urged adversaries to abandon threats and fulfill promises, while calling on the IAEA chief to be impartial.

While some hardline lawmakers in the Iranian parliament reiterated their distrust of Washington on Tuesday, public sentiment—particularly online—appears more hopeful.

Despite continued criticism of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and frequent jokes about President Donald Trump “breaking the ayatollah’s will,” the mood on social media suggests widespread excitement and a degree of optimism about the talks.

In one of the first reactions to the announcement, former lawmaker Ali Motahari said, “Many in Iran want direct negotiations, and opponents of the talks cannot stand in their way.”

He added, “Whether direct or indirect, participating in negotiations is a decision backed by the entire Iranian political system.” According to Motahari, “a majority of Iranians want an agreement between Tehran and Washington—an agreement that would lift the sanctions.”

Public criticism of hardline figures like Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari, along with a rise in the value of the Iranian currency, appeared to support Motahari’s point. He told Khabar Online that “hardliners only want to make their presence felt; beyond that, they can’t actually prevent negotiations.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed a similar message in remarks to state television. “What matters is ensuring that both sides are serious about negotiating,” he said, while emphasizing again that no arrangement has been made for direct talks.

The shift in tone among Iranian officials in recent days, including military chief Mohammad Bagheri—who expressed support for negotiations—has signaled a broader change in the country’s mood toward diplomacy.

Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a post on X, expressed confidence in Araghchi's leadership. “It is heartwarming to know that Araghchi is heading the talks for Iran. He is knowledgeable, serious, and committed to reaching an agreement based on national interests and mutual respect. Things will go well if the US delegation approaches the talks with the same seriousness and respect for Iranian interests.”

Zarif added: “Now it is the United States’ turn to cooperate in building a better future for the region and the world.”

Commenting on Trump’s decision to announce the Oman talks himself, Iranian journalist Niloofar Ghadiri noted in a post on X: “One of the main differences in this round of negotiations is that the first leak to the media came directly from the US president.”

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaqt—a relative of Khamenei and director of the pro-reform Fararu website—offered a provocative comment on X: “What would you say if you found out that Iran had launched a one-trillion-dollar project and hadn’t barred American investors from participating?”

In contrast, hardline daily Kayhan pushed back forcefully on Trump’s claim that a military option remains on the table if talks fail. “America is bluffing,” the paper wrote in its first article on the statement. “There will be no military attack. Any US military action would cause havoc in the region.”

The editorial added: “Even a limited military action will provoke Iran to destroy the Israeli regime.”

A hardline Iranian newspaper, Javan, cautioned on Wednesday that any discussion of Iran's missile program in upcoming talks with the United States would immediately end negotiations, while outlining a potential scenario where Iran might reduce uranium enrichment in exchange for the complete lifting of sanctions.

"Regarding missiles, Iran will certainly not start any discussion... This is where the negotiations can end, and perhaps America included it in the discussions for this very purpose, which is to make the negotiations fruitless!" read the editorial by Javan, which is seen as close to the Revolutionary Guards.

On Tehran-backed militias, the newspaper highlighted Iran's stance that it does not have proxy forces and suggested Iran would likely ask the US to negotiate directly with those groups.

Predicting the course of the negotiations, Javan wrote that Iran might first agree to reduce its enrichment levels, which it said should not be seen as a retreat.

The paper said that maintaining the nuclear industry and enrichment to levels meeting non-military needs has been Iran's long-standing position.

In return for reduced enrichment and increased inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran should demand the complete removal of sanctions, Javan argued.

Iran's has enriched of uranium to up to 60% fissile purity, close to the 90% needed for a bomb. Tehran denies seeking a bomb, but the United States, Israel and Western powers doubt its intentions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saidthat the upcoming discussions with the United States, led by US envoy Steve Witkoff, will solely focus on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

"The nuclear issue, in the sense of clarifying and assuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of the cruel sanctions, is the only topic of discussion," Araghchi said regarding his meeting with Witkoff.

Araghchi emphasized that the talks scheduled for Saturday in Oman present "a new opportunity for diplomacy and a test to gauge America's seriousness; a country with a long history of bad faith and unilateralism in its record."