Iran warns Israel against 'reckless moves'

The Islamic Republic said on Monday that pressures from the United States would not force concessions, accusing successive American administrations of choosing conflict over diplomacy.

“What matters to us is the actual conduct of US policymakers,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

“Unfortunately, American policy for more than four decades has consistently followed a path of confrontation.”

“The Iranian people are not a nation that kneels under threat, intimidation or pressure,” he said.

“We will not abandon our rights or our dignity.”

Iran is prepared to respond to any future moves by Western governments that it views as escalatory or disruptive, the foreign ministry said Monday.

“In light of the actions of the other parties, we have certainly anticipated various scenarios,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at his press briefing. “If any of them materialize, we will take appropriate measures based on the circumstances.”

If Western states resort to “unconstructive mechanisms,” Iran would not remain passive, he said.

“The Islamic Republic has corresponding tools and options to respond accordingly.”

A member of Iran’s parliament said Monday that Tehran’s right to enrich uranium on its own soil is absolute and cannot be curtailed through diplomacy or international pressure.

“No international law can block Iran’s enrichment activities,” said Ali Khezrian, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“The Americans know very well that this right is neither negotiable nor up for discussion.”

Iran accused Israel on Monday of fabricating nuclear weapons allegations to manipulate American foreign policy, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei calling it a political pretext.

“For over 40 years, Israeli officials have said Iran would obtain a nuclear weapon within six months,” Baghaei said. “These warnings have always proven baseless.”

Israel’s aim is to preserve influence over Washington’s regional agenda, he said.

“The Zionist regime wants to ensure its dominance over US policy,” Baghaei said, accusing it of driving wars that “have not benefited the region or the United States, only prolonged crisis.”

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.”