Trump tells GCC summit Iran must abandon proxy wars or face pressure

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s speech in Riyadh, accusing Washington of stoking instability.

“Trump tries to portray Iran as the source of insecurity. But who killed 60,000 people in Gaza? Are we the ones spreading chaos?” Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting television, Araghchi told reporters.

Trump, addressing Saudi officials in Riyadh, said Iran was the “biggest and most destructive” force in the region. “There could be no sharper contrast with the path you have pursued on the Arabian Peninsula than the disaster unfolding right across in the Gulf in Iran,” he said.

He vowed to inflict massive maximum pressure if Tehran rejected renewed nuclear talks. “(The US will) will take all action required to stop the regime from ever having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Araghchi dismissed the approach as failed coercion. “The policy of maximum pressure has already failed,” he said, adding that Tehran awaits Oman’s coordination to resume talks and remains committed to negotiation.

“It is America that, through its sanctions over the past forty-some years, along with its pressures and its military and non-military threats, has hindered the progress of the Iranian nation; the one responsible for the economic problems is America,” he added.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected that there is a deadlock in talks with the US, saying fluctuations are normal in negotiations between parties.

“The fact that both Iran and the US want the talks to continue means the negotiation process is still ongoing,” Baghaei said on Wednesday.

He added that Oman is coordinating with both sides to set the time and place for a fifth round.

Donald Trump’s visit to regional states will directly affect Tehran’s negotiations with Washington, said Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee.

“If Trump manages to damage Iran’s ties with the Persian Gulf, it will benefit him,” Zohrevand added.

“Otherwise, he will be forced to moderate his expectations in dealing with the Islamic Republic’s negotiating team.”

The US must act forcefully to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, said US Senator James Lankford, calling for the complete dismantling of Tehran's program.

“Iran should not have a nuclear arsenal, and total dismantlement is needed,” Lankford posted on X. He described Iran as “the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world” and said maximum pressure benefits both the US and global security.

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the hardline daily Kayhan and representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, criticized continued negotiations with the US as a disregard for the Islamic Republic’s authority.

“Trump has made a mockery of the talks,” Shariatmadari said. “The least we expect from officials is to declare that negotiations will not continue unless Trump apologizes to the Iranian state and its people.”