Iran stands firm on its nuclear programme

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President Trump is reportedly considering launching a round of new attacks against the Iranians to continue his unprovoked and illegal war.

But Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran; such materials constitute a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people, intended for use within the country.

“There will be no negotiations until America takes steps to build trust — a process that must begin with the fulfillment of Iran’s conditions,” he told visiting Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, who is in Tehran to mediate a potential peace deal.

The conflict erupted on February 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran while Washington and Tehran were engaged in nuclear negotiations.

Washington has imposed waves of sanctions on Iran, accusing it of seeking to build nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has long denied.

The Iranians have fought back with many experts arguing that they have inflicted a military and diplomatic defeat on the US.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at forging a permanent conflict settlement, but the deal was broken by the US when it launched more attacks against Iran.

Lines of communication between the two sides have remained open but a deal has remained elusive.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday the two sides remain in indirect talks through Pakistan and Qatar, while warning that the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed unless Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions.

Mr Araghchi told Al Ekhbariya TV that Iran had presented a seven-day initiative under which the strategic waterway would fully reopen on the sixth day.

The foreign minister said Washington had agreed to the conditions but wanted additional provisions.

He added: “If they adhere to these conditions, they should know that the strait will be fully reopened, and after that we will hold further rounds of negotiations until a final agreement is reached.”

Meanwhile, it was reported earlier this week that the US was sending a third aircraft carrier and more than 10,000 military personnel to the Middle East.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is ready to take further military action against Iran, pointing out that “we want to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”