DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran pushed again Wednesday in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics forward of important talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program, alternating between calling his remarks “huge lies” to saying negotiations could yield an settlement by way of “honorable diplomacy.”
The remarks by two Iranian officers forward of Thursday’s talks come as America has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East in decades, a part of Trump’s efforts to get a deal whereas Iran struggles at house with rising dissent following nationwide protests final month.
If the negotiations fail, Trump repeatedly has threatened to assault Iran — one thing Mideast nations worry might spiral into a brand new regional battle because the embers of the yearslong Israel-Hamas war nonetheless smolder. Already, Iran has mentioned all U.S. army bases within the Mideast could be thought of respectable targets, placing in danger the tens of 1000’s of American service members within the area.
Satellite tv for pc images shot Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Related Press appeared to point out American vessels sometimes docked in Bahrain, the house of the U.S. Navy’s fifth Fleet, all out at sea. The fifth Fleet referred inquiries to the U.S. army’s Central Command, which didn’t instantly reply. Earlier than Iran’s assault on Qatar in June, the fifth Fleet equally scattered its ships at sea to guard in opposition to a possible assault.
Iran responds to Trump’s State of the Union speech
Trump on Tuesday evening within the U.S. touched on Iran and the nuclear negotiations in his annual State of the Union speech.
“They’ve already developed missiles that may threaten Europe and our bases abroad, they usually’re working to construct missiles that may quickly attain america of America,” Trump mentioned. “They have been warned to make no future makes an attempt to rebuild their weapons program, and particularly nuclear weapons, but they proceed. They’re beginning it throughout.”
Satellite tv for pc images earlier analyzed by the AP confirmed Iran beginning to rebuild its missile production sites and doing a little work at the three nuclear sites attacked by the U.S. in June. Iran lengthy has maintained its nuclear program is peaceable. The West and the Worldwide Atomic Power Company say Iran had a nuclear weapons program till 2003. It had been enriching uranium as much as 60% purity earlier than the June assault — a brief, technical step away from weapons-grade ranges of 90%.
Responding to Trump, Iranian International Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei sought to check him to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister. He accused Trump and his administration of conducting a “disinformation & misinformation marketing campaign” in opposition to Iran.
“No matter they’re alleging with reference to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the variety of casualties throughout January’s unrest is just the repetition of ‘huge lies,’” Baghaei wrote on X.
Trump mentioned in his speech at the very least 32,000 individuals have been killed within the protests, which is on the additional finish of estimates supplied by activists for the dying toll. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist Information Company has to date counted more than 7,000 dead and believes the dying toll is way increased. Iran’s authorities, which lengthy has downplayed dying tolls in different unrest, supplied its solely toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 individuals have been killed.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, individually mentioned the U.S. might both strive diplomacy or face Iran’s wrath.
“In case you select the desk of diplomacy — a diplomacy wherein the dignity of the Iranian nation and mutual pursuits are revered — we can even be at that desk,” Qalibaf mentioned, in line with the semiofficial Scholar Information Community, a media outlet believed to be near the all-volunteer Basij drive of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
“However should you determine to repeat previous experiences by way of deception, lies, flawed evaluation and false data, and launch an assault within the midst of negotiations, you’ll undoubtedly style the agency blow of the Iranian nation and the nation’s defensive forces.”
Talks hold in stability
Iran and the U.S. are on account of meet Thursday, their third spherical of talks beneath the mediation of Oman, lengthy an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi and his staff left Tehran on Wednesday afternoon for Geneva, the place they are going to meet American officers led by particular U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
If the talks fail, uncertainty hangs over the timing of any attainable assault, in addition to its mission and objectives.
The U.S. has not made clear the goals of attainable army motion. If the aim is to strain Iran to make concessions in nuclear negotiations, it’s not clear whether or not restricted strikes will work. If the aim is to take away Iran’s leaders, that may possible commit the U.S. to a extra large, longer army marketing campaign. There was no public signal of planning for what would come subsequent, together with the potential for chaos in Iran.
The standing of Iran’s nuclear program is one other thriller. Trump earlier mentioned American strikes “obliterated” it. Now, dismantling no matter stays of this system seems to be again on the administration’s agenda. IAEA inspectors haven’t been allowed to examine these websites and confirm what stays.
There’s additionally uncertainty about what any army motion might imply for the broader area. Tehran might retaliate in opposition to the American-allied nations of the Persian Gulf or Israel. Oil costs have risen in latest days partly on account of these issues.
Related Press author Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
