Israel uses nuclear accusations to steer US policy, says Tehran

The United States has yet to provide any clear assurance on how it will lift sanctions against Iran, the foreign ministry said Monday, accusing Washington of stalling the core issue at the heart of nuclear negotiations.

“Unfortunately, the American side has refused to clarify anything regarding the removal of sanctions,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at his press briefing.

“Our clearest and most important demand in any negotiation with the West is the lifting of sanctions,” Baghaei told reporters.

“The nuclear issue is already clear—we have no weapons program, and we’ve demonstrated that in both word and action.”

“We must have clarity and certainty on how these oppressive sanctions will be removed,” Baghaei said. “We need guarantees that past failures won’t be repeated, and that the lifting of sanctions will be reflected in our actual economic, banking, and trade activity.”

Iran’s foreign ministry defended its nuclear record while accusing the International Atomic Energy Agency of misrepresenting the scope of its cooperation.

“As a responsible member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the IAEA, we have always coordinated our peaceful activities with the agency,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during a press briefing.

The spokesman dismissed criticism over Iran’s recent cancellation of a small number of inspector accreditations, calling it a legal step under the agency’s rules.

“To exaggerate the removal of a few inspectors while omitting the presence of 125 others clearly shows a biased and hostile approach,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that receiving negotiation texts should not be interpreted as acceptance, adding that Tehran will respond to any offer strictly based on national interests.

“Receiving or accepting a document in no way implies agreement or even that it is acceptable,” ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at his weekly press briefing.

Baghaei described the exchange of draft texts as standard diplomatic procedure and recalled that Iran had submitted the first formal proposal in past talks.

“Every proposal must be carefully examined, and we will respond based on legal principles and national interest,” he added.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of succumbing to European political pressure in its latest report and warned that Tehran would adjust its nuclear steps in response.

“The IAEA report was drafted under the influence and pressure of certain European countries,” the ministry’s spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a press briefing.

“It does not befit an international body tasked with overseeing peaceful nuclear activity to be placed under such pressure,” he added.

“Iran is monitoring Western conduct through the agency and will calibrate its next steps accordingly.”

Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, accused the United States of deceiving Iran prior to the 1979 revolution by proposing a nuclear fuel consortium that ultimately excluded Tehran after securing its investment.

“This is exactly what the Americans told Iran before the revolution—they said, do not enter the nuclear fuel cycle,” Eslami said, according to Tasnim News.

“They proposed forming a consortium, and it was established after they took a billion dollars from the Shah. It was based in France, and as soon as it was formed, they said non-European countries cannot be members.”