Iran on Monday criticized the United States for what it called inconsistent and hostile conduct in the ongoing nuclear talks, rejecting Washington’s demand for zero uranium enrichment ahead of a possible new round of negotiations mediated by Oman.
Speaking at a press briefing in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagahei said, “The difficulty of negotiating with the US lies in the fact that you are dealing with a party that respects none of the established norms of a diplomatic process.”
“The very act of imposing sanctions while claiming to pursue diplomacy with the Islamic Republic of Iran shows a lack of seriousness and goodwill,” he added, warning that Washington’s shifting positions undermined trust.
“The Americans’ shifting position on enrichment is like a game of snakes and ladders—just as we make progress, the US adopts a different stance,” Bagahei said, referring to recent comments by US nuclear envoy Steve Witkoff that Washington would not accept any level of uranium enrichment in a future agreement.
Bagahei stressed that Iran’s enrichment program was “non-negotiable,” calling it both a legal right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a national achievement.
“Uranium enrichment is not some kind of fantasy that we can simply suspend or stop. It is a technology and a necessity to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of Iran’s nuclear industry,” he said. “We cannot give it up.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also dismissed Witkoff’s remarks, saying they were “completely at a distance from the reality of the negotiations.”
In a post on X on Sunday, Araghchi wrote: “If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome. Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.”
He accused the US of contradictory messaging. “Iran can only control what we Iranians do, and that is to avoid negotiating in public—particularly given the current dissonance we are seeing between what our US interlocutors say in public and in private, and from one week to the other,” Araghchi said.
Next round of talks expected soon
Elsewhere in his press conference, Baghaei said the date and location for the next round of indirect US-Iran nuclear talks have not been set. Araghchi, however, said on Sunday that the date is set and will soon be announced by Oman, which is mediating.
Baghaei denied reports of parallel negotiations between other Iranian and US officials, specifically between Ali Shamkhani – Iran's former top security official and currently an advisor to the Supreme Leader -- and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“There are no parallel negotiations. The only negotiation process that exists is this indirect one, led by the Iranian foreign minister and the US president’s special envoy,” Bagahei said.
The US and Iran have held four previous rounds of talks in Muscat and Rome. Witkoff said on Sunday that the next round could take place in Europe later this week.
President Donald Trump said Thursday the US was “very close” to a deal but issued a warning on Friday. “They have a proposal. More importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad—something bad’s going to happen,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Baghaei said on Monday, “We have not received any written proposal from the United States, and their verbal offers constantly shift,” echoing remarks made by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi the previous day.
Iran to respond if E3 triggers snapback
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman also warned on Monday that Tehran will respond to any hostile action, including a possible move by European countries to trigger the snapback mechanism—a process that would automatically reimpose UN sanctions on Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal.
“We will not leave any hostile action without a response,” Baghaei said. “There is no legal basis for activating the snapback mechanism, and the insistence of some European countries on doing so is baseless.”
“If the Europeans use the snapback mechanism, we will definitely take measures in response,” he added.
At the opening of Tehran Dialogue Forum on Sunday, Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to its peaceful nuclear program while rejecting accusations of weaponization.
“We have the right, under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as health, agriculture, and industry,” he said.
The president pointed out Iran’s long-standing position that it does not seek nuclear weapons, citing religious prohibitions and ethical opposition to weapons of mass destruction.
“Our religious belief does not permit the production of nuclear weapons — tools that can destroy humanity and have no future on this Earth besides savagery,” Pezeshkian said. “Even the US president said, ‘We must make sure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.’ Fine — let them come and check. We have nothing to hide.”
The Tehran Dialogue Forum, organized by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to promote unofficial diplomacy, according to the ministry. The two-day event includes participation from foreign ministers, senior policy officials, and UN representatives, with panel sessions livestreamed to audiences worldwide.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi — who has facilitated four rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the United States — attended the forum and may be carrying a new American proposal Trump alluded to Friday.
Trump said Iran has the US proposal, but hours later Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has received no written offer, directly or indirectly.
Call for a ‘fair and balanced’ nuclear deal
In a keynote speech at the same forum, the Iranian foreign minister described US sanctions as “unjust and unilateral,” directly targeting Iranian civilians, and urged their genuine and verifiable removal.
He added that Tehran remains committed to diplomacy and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. “We are seeking a fair and balanced agreement that fully respects Iran’s nuclear rights under the NPT and leads to the tangible and verifiable removal of sanctions,” Araghchi said.
“Sanctions that directly target our people must be lifted in a real and measurable way,” he added. “Such an agreement can serve the interests of both sides and promote peace, stability, and security in the region.”
Araghchi said again that Iran has never pursued nuclear weapons and expressed Tehran’s willingness to resolve international concerns through transparency and dialogue.
“We have always worked to address logical international concerns about our nuclear program through interaction and transparency,” he said.
Last month, UN's nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with Le Monde that Iran was “not far” from being able to produce an atomic bomb, describing the country’s progress as “pieces of a puzzle” that could potentially come together.
Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium has risen to 275 kg, up from 182 kg last quarter, the the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief told the agency’s board in March, warning that Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to such a level.
The IAEA says 60% enrichment has no credible civilian use and is close to weapons-grade. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and remains under IAEA monitoring and has no secret nuclear site.
Iran outlines foreign policy strategy, offers reset with Europe
In his address, Araghchi outlined Iran’s evolving foreign policy under President Pezeshkian, structured around three pillars: expanding ties with neighbors, strengthening cooperation with emerging powers and the Global South, and balancing relations with both Eastern and Western blocs.
“Iran seeks to play an active role in shaping a multipolar, just global order,” he said, pointing to Iran’s membership in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Iran views its participation in organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a sign of its growing alignment with multipolar global structures.
Araghchi also said Tehran is ready to begin a “new chapter” with Europe if European states adopt an independent and constructive approach.
He added that Tehran is open to improving ties with Europe if there is a “genuine will” and an “independent approach” from European partners. “If Europe is ready to move past a fixation on disputes, we are ready to open a new chapter.”
Earlier in the day, conservative daily Farhikhtegan reported that European powers pressed for a formal seat at the table and new enforcement mechanisms during Friday’s meeting in Iran’s consulate in Istanbul.
Rejecting ‘external domination’ for regional agency
Addressing the broader geopolitical context, both Pezeshkian and Araghchi denounced what they called foreign interference in West Asia.
“The fate of our region should not remain in the hands of extra-regional powers... it must not remain tied to decisions made in think tanks outside of it,” Araghchi said, citing the Gaza crisis as further evidence of the failure of international systems.
“West Asia needs a fundamental rethinking of its self-image,” Iran’s top diplomat said at the forum, titled “Regional Agency in a Disordered World: Unity or Division?”
He called for a rethinking of the region’s self-image, moving away from narratives imposed by outside actors and instead building an indigenous order. “It is time we dismantle the fabricated and imposed quasi-realities, and establish a local, desirable, and sustainable order,” he said.
Forum as a platform for unofficial diplomacy
The two-day Tehran Dialogue Forum, hosted by Iran’s Foreign Ministry think tank — the Center for Political and International Studies — brings together 200 foreign delegates, including ministers and decision-makers from Persian Gulf and Asian states, according to state media.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, head of the Center, described the forum as “a platform for unofficial diplomatic conversation” that consolidates prior regional conferences on the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and Afghanistan into a single event aimed at strengthening regional diplomacy.
This year’s forum marks a return after a one-year hiatus due to the death of Iran’s former President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash
Khatibzadeh said the forum’s revival under the new administration signals a renewed commitment to diplomacy “rooted in regional priorities, not foreign agendas.”
“Diplomacy, like all other fields, has diverse methods — sometimes a single individual can advance diplomacy as much as an institution,” he said.
He said that all Persian Gulf states sent high-ranking delegations, and that the conference includes 40 panel discussions broadcast live. Around 50 foreign media outlets are covering the event, he said.
The message of Iran’s leadership at the Forum was clear: while Tehran is open to renewed engagement with the US and Europe, it will not accept coercion or compromise on what it views as sovereign rights.
“As a free human being, I reject all forms of coercion,” said President Pezeshkian. “So does every free person in this country and this region. Free nations will never bow to pressure.”