Iran says it will continue nuclear talks with the US, shrugging off Trump’s threats
May 17, 2025, 2:03 AM | Updated: 2:28 am
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian makes an address during the army parade commemorating National Army Day in front of the shrine of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, just outside Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) 鈥� Iran鈥檚 president said his country will continue talks with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program but will not withdraw from its rights because of U.S. threats.
鈥淲e are negotiating, and we will negotiate , we are not after war but we do not fear any threat,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a speech to navy officials broadcast by state television Saturday.
鈥淚t is not like that they think if they threaten us , we will give up our human right and definite right,鈥� Pezeshkian said. 鈥淲e will not withdraw, we will not easily loose honorable military, scientific, nuclear in all fields.鈥�
The negotiations have reached the 鈥渆xpert鈥� level, meaning the sides are trying to reach agreement on the details of a possible deal. But a major sticking point remains Iran鈥檚 enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists it must be allowed to do and the Trump administration increasingly insists the Islamic Republic must give up.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran鈥檚 program if a deal isn鈥檛 reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said Iran received a proposal during the talks, though he did not elaborate.
During his trip to region this week, Trump at nearly every event insisted Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb, something U.S. intelligence agencies assess Tehran is not actively pursuing, though its program is on the cusp of being able to weaponize nuclear material.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran鈥檚 atomic organization, stressed the peaceful nature of the program, saying it is under 鈥渃ontinuous鈥� monitoring by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state TV reported Saturday.
鈥淣o country is monitored by the agency like us,鈥� Eslami said, adding that the agency inspected the country鈥檚 nuclear facilities more than 450 time in 2024. 鈥淪omething about 25% of all the agency inspections鈥� in the year.
Meanwhile, Israel routinely has threatened to strike Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities if it feels threatened, further complicating tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
