Iranian official tells CNN that US uses nuclear talks as 'trap'

Arya was criticizing Araghchi for visiting Pakistan before traveling to India for talks aimed at deescalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

The clip quickly circulated online, prompting a public response from the Iranian embassy in New Delhi. In a statement, the embassy said: "Respect for guests is a long-standing tradition in Iranian culture. We Iranians consider our guests 'beloved of God. What about you?"

Following the Iranian reaction, the Indian embassy in Tehran issued its own clarification, writing: "The Embassy of India in Iran wishes to clarify that the person in this video is a private Indian citizen."

"His comments do not reflect the official position of the Indian government, which finds the disrespectful language used in the video inappropriate," the Indian embassy added.

Major Gaurav Arya is a very popular Indian personality with nearly two million followers on X including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His program "Chankaya Dialogue" also has over four million subscribers on YouTube.

The United States may consider putting the military option back on the table if significant progress is not made in the fourth round of nuclear talks with Iran, scheduled for Sunday in Muscat, Israel's i24 News reported, citing sources close to the US chief negotiator Steve Witkoff.

If the talks "are not productive on Sunday, then they won’t continue and we’ll have to take a different route,” Witkoff previously told Breitbart News.

The Houthi officials' confusion and contradictory statements following the announcement of a halt in US airstrikes indicate the move was the result of a US-Iran deal, said Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

He said Tehran had exploited the decision to break a deadlock in ongoing negotiations.

"Military action depends on them [Iran], in whether or not they believe in taking President Trump seriously," Israel's Channel 12 reported citing US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

In the Saturday interview, Huckabee emphasized that there will not be nuclear weapons in Iran.

"There won't be a deal that involves Iran with nuclear capacity."

"Iran insists on its right to use peaceful nuclear energy and that includes uranium enrichment," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said one day before the fourth round of talks with the US in Oman.

"We will not back down from the Iranian nation's nuclear rights. If the goal is to prevent Iran from accessing its legitimate right to peaceful nuclear energy, that will never happen," he said.

Araghchi, who was addressing an event held in Doha, said "Iran, in its indirect talks with the United States, emphasizes its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and clearly states that it is not seeking nuclear weapons."

"Iran continues the negotiations in good faith, and if the goal of these talks is to ensure non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, an agreement is possible. However, if the aim is to restrict Iran’s nuclear rights, Iran will never back down from its rights."

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