The Iranian negotiating team has been instructed not to proceed with any talks that include proposals to halt or reduce uranium enrichment to zero, Iran International has learned.
According to information obtained by Iran International, a formal directive was issued to the delegation ahead of the fifth round of indirect negotiations with the United States in Rome.
The order said any discussion of ending enrichment is off-limits, and negotiators are required to reject such proposals outright.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s televised interview, aired the night before the talks began, was part of this coordinated approach.
The appearance, organized in consultation with the Supreme National Security Council and the sanctions negotiations committee, aimed to publicly reinforce Tehran’s red lines and manage expectations over a possible failure of the Rome talks.
The messaging also sought to frame the US as responsible should the talks collapse, by emphasizing Iran’s refusal to abandon what it views as its core nuclear rights.
Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday that nuclear talks with the United States will fail if Washington insists on Iran halting its uranium enrichment, in one of Tehran's gloomiest assessments yet of the negotiations.
“The American side says enrichment must stop in Iran, and if that is their goal, there will be no agreement,” Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with state media.
“We will not give up our rights, and our nuclear program, including enrichment, must continue."
Iran insists its disputed nuclear program is peaceful and sees domestic enrichment as a right enshrined by international covenants.
Western countries and Mideast arch-nemesis Israel doubt Iran's intentions.
US state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday that Washington was optimistic about the talks which are due for a fifth round in Rome on Friday because Iranian diplomats were still talking despite the hard US line on enrichment.
"The fifth round of the nuclear talks would not be happening if we didn't think that there was potential for it," Bruce told reporters on Thursday.
"Clearly we believe that we are going to succeed," she added. "Most of our leaders have who have spoken on it (have said talks are) about no enrichment, and the Iranians are (still) at that table. So they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go."
Iran prepared to respond to any Israeli strike
Addressing reports that Israel may be preparing for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Araghchi said he had written to UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that Iran will defend its nuclear facilities if attacked.
"If the threats continue, we will be forced to implement special arrangements to protect our nuclear facilities and materials, and those who need to understand what these special arrangements are will certainly understand," he said.
CNN reported Tuesday that US intelligence indicates Israel is preparing for potential strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, citing multiple American officials.
Araghchi also said that Israel is against US negotiations with Iran and in recent months they have tried their best to drag Washington into war with Tehran.
“Whether or not the US participates in an attack alongside Israel, we see it as a partner in aggression. We do not accept the idea that Israel could act without American coordination,” he said.
Several Tehran outlets defied a state-imposed ban on Wednesday by publishing commentary on ongoing nuclear talks with Washington, some striking an optimistic tone that diverged from the Supreme Leader’s skeptical message a day earlier.
In a speech on Tuesday, Ali Khamenei questioned the likelihood of a deal with the United States under President Donald Trump. Within hours, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a directive prohibiting the country’s press from commenting on the negotiations.
Still, major reformist dailies Etemad and Sharq carried pieces backing the talks the next day—one commentator even letting his imagination sail into uncharted territory.
“Not only will Iran and the United States reach an agreement, but they will also pave the way for the reopening of the US embassy in Tehran and consulates in other Iranian cities,” former MP Esmail Gerami Moghaddam said in an interview with Etemad.
“Trump has never said Iran should stop enrichment—only that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” he asserted, arguing that Trump’s recent trade agreements with neighboring Arab nations prove he is not seeking escalation in the region.
Sharq’s editorial—titled Does Diplomacy Still Have a Chance?—was not as rosy, denouncing what it called Washington’s excessive demands.
“Iran does not want to participate in talks that collapse before they even begin,” it quoted an unnamed official as saying, arguing that the “zero enrichment” red line advanced by Trump and his team threatens Iran’s sovereignty.
Nevertheless, the editorial ended on a hopeful note that the talks would continue.
Sharq also quoted former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian—now at Princeton University, where he faces a campaign by Iranian dissidents calling for his removal.
“These problems would not have arisen had there been more direct negotiations with the U.S.,” Mousavian told Sharq, accusing U.S. officials of posturing that, in his words, undermines trust.
This echoed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who on Tuesday accused officials in Washington of leaking sensitive information and called for confidentiality.
In another piece, Sharq highlighted Qatar’s mediation efforts alongside Oman’s as a potential breakthrough. The duo’s involvement, it argued, could help establish a peaceful framework and restore regional stability.
“Qatar, as an experienced mediator, can build upon Oman’s initiatives,” the editorial said, noting that recent statements from Doha about bridging the gap between Washington and Tehran had raised hopes among diplomats.
By offering to mediate between Iran and the U.S., it concluded, Qatar is sending a clear message to President Trump: that his allies in the region prefer diplomacy over confrontation.
Yaron Lischinsky, one of two Israeli embassy employees killed in a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, had publicly expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and participated in events supporting democracy in Iran.
Lischinsky, who served as a Middle East affairs advisor at the Israeli embassy in Washington, was killed alongside his fiancée, Sarah Lynn Milgrim, by a lone gunman who opened fire on a group leaving a diplomatic event on Wednesday night.
A suspect, identified by police as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was taken into custody shortly afterward. Video footage shows him shouting "free free Palestine" after his arrest as police took him into custody.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that both victims were locally employed staff members who had been active in cross-cultural dialogue and reconciliation efforts.
In previous posts on the social media platform X, Lischinsky had voiced support for the people of Iran, distinguishing them from the Islamic Republic. In a Nowruz message last year, he wrote: "The people of Iran are not our enemies. We wish them all the best and hope that one day peace will return."
Lischinsky had also participated in a conference organized by the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), a US-based advocacy group, where he was seen in photos alongside Iranian opposition figures. One image shared from the event included a flag bearing the historic Lion and Sun emblem of Iran.
The shooting occurred just over a mile from the White House and has been described by Israeli and US officials as a targeted act of violence. Security around Israeli diplomatic facilities worldwide has since been heightened.
Lischinsky, originally from Bavaria, Germany, was remembered by colleagues and community members as a committed and empathetic figure who worked to build bridges in the Middle East.
Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack, with the FBI investigating possible hate crime or terrorism motives though no formal terrorism charges have been announced.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X "Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence. Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads."
Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters, "We will not tolerate antisemitism ... the FBI's role, of course, as always when there is any possibility of a terrorist act, or acts motivated by hate or other bias, the FBI will be conducting those investigations."
The incident comes amid rising concerns about hate crimes linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Human rights groups have reported increased incidents of both antisemitic and anti-Arab violence in the United States since October 2023.
Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper, closely aligned with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned on Thursday that indirect talks with the United States are heading toward a “pre-designed dead-end,” accusing Washington of seeking Iran’s total capitulation on nuclear enrichment.
An editorial warned that the diplomatic process to reach a new nuclear deal is heading toward a “pre-designed dead-end,” accusing Washington of seeking Iran’s total capitulation on nuclear enrichment.
The article came on the eve of the fifth round of negotiations mediated by Oman as Iranian officials expressed growing skepticism over the value of continuing the process.
“The Americans have brought the talks to a dead-end not due to misunderstandings or technical disagreements, but as a direct result of their excessive demands,” Kayhan wrote.
“Their goal is to empty Iran’s hands of nuclear capability and impose their will on a nation that has resisted domination for four decades.”
The remarks echoed comments made earlier this week by Khamenei himself, who publicly rebuked US demands that Iran halt all uranium enrichment and expressed pessimism about the outcome of the diplomatic process.
“We don’t think these talks will succeed, and we don’t know what will happen,” Khamenei said during a speech marking the anniversary of former President Ebrahim Raisi’s death.
Officials from across Iran’s political establishment – including the foreign minister, the parliament, and the first vice president – reiterated that uranium enrichment remains a red line.
Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching uranium to 60% U-235, a level that causes "serious concern," according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
The IAEA has consistently maintained that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to this level, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade 90% fissile material.
Iran's stockpile of 60% enriched uranium had increased to 275 kg, enough to theoretically make about half a dozen weapons if Iran further enriches the uranium.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Wednesday: “Enrichment will continue in Iran, with or without an agreement. If the other side wants more transparency, we’re open to that, but they must lift sanctions in return.”
He added, “If they want to enter into areas of our peaceful nuclear activities and deprive us of what is our right under the NPT, there will be no room for agreement.”
Iran’s parliament also issued a statement declaring it would “never retreat from the nuclear rights of the Iranian people,” accusing the United States of acting as a “criminal regime” with no legitimacy to dictate terms.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the United Nations to respond to Israeli threats against Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning that Tehran will take “special measures” to defend its infrastructure if necessary.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN Security Council president, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi, Araghchi cited a recent CNN report that said US intelligence indicates Israel is preparing for possible attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
“Iran will take all necessary measures to protect and defend its citizens, interests, and facilities against any terrorist or sabotage actions,” Araghchi wrote. “As in the past, we strongly warn the Israeli regime against any adventurism, and Iran will respond decisively to any threats or violations.”
A CNN report this week cited US intelligence officials quoted as saying military movements had been observed suggesting a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in addition to intercepted communications.
Araghchi added that Iran considers the United States responsible for any potential Israeli attack, understanding that any such operation would need the tacit approval of Washington. “In the event of any strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, the US government will share responsibility,” he said.
Araghchi reiterated Iran's position, in which it maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and fully under IAEA monitoring, and cited multiple UN and IAEA resolutions prohibiting attacks on civilian nuclear infrastructure.
He warned that, in light of ongoing threats, “the Islamic Republic of Iran will be compelled to adopt special protective measures for its nuclear facilities and materials,” with details to be shared with the IAEA in due course.
Araghchi flags US intel leak on Israeli threats 'alarming'
Following the letter, Araghchi reiterated his message in a post on X, calling it a “serious pre-action warning.”
“Threats from the rogue Israeli regime are nothing new,” he wrote. “But the recent leak citing US officials as divulging Israeli plans for an unlawful attack on Iran and its nuclear facilities is alarming and warrants immediate and serious condemnation from the UN Security Council and the IAEA.”
He added: “The nature, content, and extent of our actions will correspond and be proportionate to preventive measures taken by these international bodies.”
Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that Israel would face a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacked Iran. “They are trying to frighten us with war but are miscalculating, as they are unaware of the powerful popular and military support the Islamic Republic can muster in war conditions,” Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said, according to state media.