Tehran's red lines dominate parliament's closed-door session on US talks

Iran's pursuit of nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat is a strategic move leveraging "deterrence through diplomacy," according to an editorial published in the Iranian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad on Tuesday.

Authored by Mohammad-Ali Rafiei, the commentary suggests that Tehran's past actions and demonstrated military readiness have built the credibility needed to engage effectively in negotiations.

“Deterrence does not always come from military might alone,” Rafiei wrote. “A broader view shows that diplomacy itself can act as a form of deterrence, convincing adversaries that the cost of hostile action outweighs its benefits.”

Rafiei cited a series of recent military and diplomatic maneuvers as part of this deterrence strategy. These include Iran’s direct strikes on Israel in the past year and a set of joint military drills with Russia and China.

“Even when immediate agreements are not possible, diplomacy backed by credible deterrence is a vital tool for managing crises,” Rafiei wrote. “Honest dialogue and a readiness to compromise can yield mutually acceptable solutions.”

A senior Iranian surgeon said many victims of the Bandar Abbas port explosion suffered major head and facial injuries, including skull fractures and eye trauma so severe that some patients required eye removal surgery.

Heydar Raeisian, a senior surgery resident at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, said more than 400 people were treated after the blast. “There were so many patients we didn’t have time to write sonography reports,” he told Farhikhtegan newspaper. “We wrote notes directly on their stomachs to move quickly to the next case.”

Raeisian said others had broken ribs, pelvises, and limbs, while several patients showed signs of psychological trauma. One man reportedly died of a heart attack after hearing that family members may have been involved. Another showed physical symptoms caused purely by emotional shock.

"There is no diplomatic or military solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, only toppling the regime will prevent disaster,"Akhondisaid speaking to Israeli media during a public visit to Israel.

He expressed concern that a potential deal between the Trump administration and Iran would undermine efforts to weaken the Islamic Republic.

"They are at their weakest point during the 46 years since the Islamic Revolution," Akhondi said, adding that "any deal will set back two and a half years of my work to weaken the Islamic Republic."

"Any kind of deal is a threat," he said, arguing that even a comprehensive agreement dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure would be insufficient.

Akhondi, who was born in Iran and immigrated to Sweden as a child, criticized what he called the US envoy's inexperience and suggested that Iran and Russia were exploiting his lack of expertise.

“To be honest, I’m upset that they used an amateur like Witkoff as a negotiator. The Islamic Republic demanded that it not be Marco Rubio, but Witkoff. Russia demanded him, too. It’s the same strategy. Why? Because it’s easy to play with him. He has no experience in such sensitive geopolitical issues,” Akhondi said.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Abbas Goudarzi, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's presiding board, said the meeting included a briefing from the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, emphasizing the Islamic Republic’s core demands in the talks.

“Iran remains committed to negotiations as long as the other side remains committed,” Goudarzi said. “Our emphasis is on peaceful domestic enrichment. Our definition may differ from the Americans; enrichment means internal production, not the import of enriched material.”

He underlined that any final deal must include the removal of sanctions, unfreezing of blocked assets, and restoration of banking ties. “These are fundamental pillars of our position,” he said.

Goudarzi added that regional issues, Iran’s defensive capabilities, and the suspension of enrichment are not open for negotiation. “The talks are strictly nuclear in scope. We reject any inspection outside of those by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he added.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed this stance, saying that the legislature’s role is supervisory. “The government must remain within the framework of the Strategic Action Law to lift sanctions and protect the Iranian nation’s interests,” he said.

The Strategic Action Law to Lift Sanctions and Safeguard the National Interests of Iran, passed in 2020 and aimed at more parliamentary influence on nuclear policy, mandated a rapid escalation of nuclear activities and a significant reduction in IAEA monitoring in reaction to the US' withdrawal from the JCPOA and the subsequent reimposition of sanctions in 2019.

Ghalibaf also addressed recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stepped up rhetoric against Iran, dismissing the comments as attempts to influence the Iran-US talks.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu said, “A real deal that works is one that removes Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons... Dismantle all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program. That is a deal we can live with.”

Ghalibaf brushed off the remarks. “Netanyahu, in a desperate attempt to avoid political extinction, has resorted to threats. These worthless tirades are not taken seriously”, he said.

Drawing attention to the alignment between US and Israel, Ghalibaf said, "The Zionist regime cannot take independent action without US permission," in spite of threats.

However, it is US President Donald Trump who has said outright that if Iran does not agree to a nuclear deal, the US will bomb Iran.

Ghalibaf also delivered a stark warning: "Should even a fraction of these threats be executed, Iran’s response will be decisive. Any aggression would be akin to igniting a powder keg, putting not just the Zionist regime, but all US bases in the region squarely in the crosshairs of Iranian retaliation."

The head of Iran’s Mostazafan Foundation said the transport ministry must be held responsible for the deadly explosion at Bandar Abbas port, and declined to comment further on the role of a foundation subsidiary.

Hossein Dehghan, head of the Mostazafan Foundation, said: “I will speak later about the Sina company and the cause of the explosion,” according to ILNA news agency.

The blast occurred in the area operated by Sina Marine and Port Services, a subsidiary of the Mostazafan Foundation. The foundation, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate sanctioned by the United States, is controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Sina's director earlier said the explosion was caused by the misdeclaration of "very dangerous" cargo as ordinary goods, which had been improperly stored. The company said it would pursue legal action over the false declaration, which it said endangered the entire port area from ship to warehouse.