An Iranian lawmaker on Saturday criticized the country’s foreign ministry for lacking clarity and firmness in its handling of nuclear negotiations, urging officials to assert Iran’s red lines more clearly and confidently.
Ali Asghar Nakhaeirad, a member of parliament from Mashhad, said the ministry has been “negotiating from the lowest end of national demands instead of asserting the full scope of Iran’s goals as the official position,” and called for a stronger diplomatic posture.
Speaking at a press conference in Khorasan Razavi province, Nakhaeirad said Iran’s 60% uranium enrichment capability must be treated as a non-negotiable red line. “The Iranian people have paid a heavy price to achieve this level of nuclear advancement. Not even one percent should be compromised,” he said.
He accused the foreign ministry of treating the enrichment program as a bargaining chip rather than a pillar of national strength. “We must negotiate from a position of power, not from fear or concession,” he warned, adding that retreating from principled positions only emboldens adversaries.
Nakhaeirad said he has formally submitted a question to the foreign minister in parliament and urged the government to deliver “a clear and decisive message” to Western powers ahead of further talks. “This is not a time for appeasement or hesitation. What we need is revolutionary, assertive diplomacy,” he said.
