PARIS: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday ruled out Tehran ever giving up uranium enrichment in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-us-talks-with-iran-very-good-more-negotiations-expected" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations</a>&nbsp;with Washington, insisting it will not be intimidated by the threat of war with the United States. The minister, Abbas Araghchi told a forum in Tehran attended by AFP, that Tehran had little trust in Washington and even doubted that the US side was taking renewed negotiations seriously. &quot;Why do we insist so much on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-defies-us-threats-to-insist-on-right-to-enrich-uranium" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">enrichment</a>&nbsp;and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behavior,&quot; Araghchi &quot;Their military deployment in the region does not scare us,&quot; he said, referring to the arrival of an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Arabian Sea. The United States and Iran reopened negotiations on Friday, for the first time in years, in Oman. Iran is seeking to have US economic sanctions on the country lifted, in exchange for what Araghchi said at the forum could be &quot;a series of confidence-building measures concerning the nuclear program.&quot; Western countries and Israel, thought to be the Middle East&#39;s only country with nuclear weapons, say Iran is seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb, which the latter&nbsp;denies. &quot;They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not looking for one. Our atomic bomb is the power to say &#39;no&#39; to the great powers,&quot; Araghchi said. &#39;Peace through strength&#39; Araghchi&#39;s comments came after US lead negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the aircraft carrier on Saturday, signalling the persistent threat of US military action against Iran. The US military&#39;s Central Command (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-launches-onewayattack-drone-force-in-middle-east" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">CENTCOM</a>) said the two top officials visited the nuclear-powered vessel. In a social media post, Witkoff said the aircraft carrier and its strike group was &quot;keeping us safe and upholding President Trump&#39;s message of peace through strength&quot;. The threat of war continues to hover over the negotiations, even as Trump called the talks &quot;very good&quot; and Iran&#39;s President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on social media that they &quot;constitute a step forward&quot;. Following Friday&#39;s first round in Oman, Trump signed an executive order calling for the &quot;imposition of tariffs&quot; on countries still doing business with Iran despite US sanctions. The United States also announced new sanctions against numerous shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran&#39;s oil exports. At the Tehran forum Sunday, Araghchi called into question the United States&#39; commitment to negotiations. &quot;The continuation of certain sanctions and military actions raise doubts about the seriousness and readiness of the other side to conduct genuine negotiations,&quot; he said. &quot;We are monitoring the situation closely, assessing all the signals and will decide on the continuation of the negotiations.&quot; Protests toll Talks between the two arch enemies came amid a major <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-military-to-prioritize-homeland-and-curbing-china-limit-support-for-allies" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US military</a> buildup in the region in the wake of Iran&#39;s crackdown on protests that began in late December, driven by economic grievances. The authorities in Iran have acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed in the recent protests, publishing on Sunday a list of 2,986 names, most of whom they say were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders. International organizations have put the toll far higher. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has kept a running toll since the onset of the protests, says it has verified 6,961 deaths, mainly of protesters, and has another 11,630 cases under investigation. It has also counted more than 51,000 arrests.

Men look at Iranian daily newspapers reporting on the first round of talks between Iran and the United States at a kiosk in Tehran. (AFP)

Middle East

Iran’s foreign minister rejects abandoning uranium enrichment as talks with the United States resume, while questioning Washington’s sincerity amid new sanctions, military deployments and threats of war during renewed nuclear negotiations.

Iran defies US threats to insist on right to enrich uranium

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that no country would tolerate terrorist violence against its civilians and armed forces, stressing that Tehran is prepared both for conflict and negotiations, provided talks are fair and not imposed, state-run Press TV reported.&nbsp;Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, Araghchi condemned what he described as US- and Israeli-backed terrorist violence that erupted after peaceful economic protests in late December. He stated that the initial demonstrations were legitimate and constitutionally protected, and that government engagement and reforms had helped alleviate tensions.&nbsp;However, from Jan. 8 onwards, he said armed groups entered the unrest, distributing weapons and attempting to provoke mass casualties. Iranian security forces, he added, responded with restraint while seeking to prevent violence.&nbsp;Araghchi accused Washington and Israel of interference, citing what he said was evidence of foreign involvement, including claims of Mossad-linked operatives active inside Iran. He also criticized former US president Donald Trump&rsquo;s remarks on possible US intervention, calling them &ldquo;outright interference.&rdquo;&nbsp;The foreign minister said Western governments were wrongly condemning Iranian law enforcement while ignoring what he termed terrorism, accusing them of &ldquo;shedding crocodile tears&rdquo; and applying double standards.&nbsp;More than 70% of Iranians support firm action against violent rioters, he said, adding that while peaceful protest is a right, no state tolerates arson, terrorism, or live fire against civilians and security forces.&nbsp;Referring to recent unrest as a continuation of earlier conflict, Araghchi warned adversaries against miscalculation. &ldquo;Iran does not seek war, but is ready for it,&rdquo; he said, adding that the country&rsquo;s readiness now exceeds levels seen during the June fighting.&nbsp;At the same time, he said Tehran remains open to negotiations &mdash; but only on equal footing and without pressure.&nbsp;Trump threatens Iran, again The statement comes hours after the US President Donald Trump threatened to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-want-to-negotiate-and-meeting-being-set-up" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">intervene militarily</a> if Tehran killed protesters.&nbsp;For two weeks, Iran has been rocked by a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/fresh-protests-in-iran-as-internet-blackout-persists" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">protest movement</a> that has swelled despite a crackdown.&nbsp;Initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, the demonstrations have evolved into a serious challenge to the Iranian government.&nbsp;Information has continued to trickle out of Iran despite a days-long internet shutdown, with videos filtering out of the capital, Tehran, and other cities over the past three nights showing large demonstrations.&nbsp;&quot;The leaders of Iran called yesterday,&quot; Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that &ldquo;a meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate.&quot;&nbsp;He added, however, that &quot;we may have to act before a meeting.&quot;

Says armed groups entered the unrest, distributing weapons and attempting to provoke mass casualties; Iranian security forces showed restraint.

Iran ready for war and talks, but rejects diktats, says FM Araghchi

TEHRAN: Iran and Turkiye have agreed to begin constructing a new joint rail link to serve as a strategic gateway between Asia and Europe, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday.&nbsp;The planned route, known in Iran as the Marand&ndash;Cheshmeh Soraya railway transit line and running towards Turkiye&#39;s Aralik border region, will cover around 200 kilometres (120 miles}.&nbsp;It will cost roughly $1.6 billion and is expected to take three to four years to complete, Iranian authorities have said.&nbsp;Earlier this month, Iran&#39;s transport minister Farzaneh Sadegh said the rail line would transform the southern section of what was once the Silk Road into an &quot;all-rail corridor ensuring the continuity of the network between China and Europe&quot;.&nbsp;It would also ensure &quot;fast and cheap transport of all types of cargo with minimal stops&quot;, she added.&nbsp;At a joint press conference on Saturday with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Araghchi said &quot;emphasis was placed on the need to remove barriers to trade and investment between the two countries&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;The two countries also stressed the importance of the rail link ... in the region and expressed hope that the construction of this line can start as soon as possible,&quot; he added.&nbsp;The ancient Silk Road was a vast system of trade routes that for centuries linked East Asia to the Middle East and Europe, facilitating the flow of goods, culture and knowledge across continents.&nbsp;In 2013, China announced the construction of the &quot;Belt and Road Initiative&quot;, officially known as the &quot;New Silk Road&quot; a project that aims to build maritime, road, and rail infrastructure to boost global trade.&nbsp;Iran has been seeking to expand infrastructure and trade with neighbouring countries as part of efforts to revitalise an economy strained by decades of international sanctions.

Asia

Iran and Turkey agreed to build a $1.6 billion, 200-kilometre rail link connecting Marand to Aralik, enhancing Asia-Europe trade and promoting fast, cost-effective cargo transport within three to four years.

Articles tagged with "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi"

Iran defies US threats to insist on right to enrich uranium

Iran ready for war and talks, but rejects diktats, says FM Araghchi

Iran, Turkiye agree to build key trade rail link

Iran defies US threats to insist on right to enrich uranium