The deal, which was signed by Presidents Masoud Pezeshkian and Vladimir Putin in January, was already ratified by Russia's State Duma last month.

It passed the Iranian parliament with 191 votes in favour, eight against and three abstentions among the 212 members present, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

The treaty provides for joint efforts to counter common security threats but stops short of a mutual defence agreement.

Putin has called the treaty a "breakthrough document", while Pezeshkian said it would "open a new chapter in relations".

Iran and Russia have expanded military collaboration in recent years, with Tehran accused by Kyiv and Western governments of supplying drones and missiles used in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Tehran has repeatedly denied the accusation, saying it has not sided with either party to the conflict.

Both governments are under heavy Western sanctions and have increasingly coordinated their diplomatic and economic policies.

The ratification comes after Iran held four rounds of negotiations with the United States in search of a new deal to ally Western concerns about its nuclear programme.

While both sides have agreed to continue discussions, no date or venue has been set for the next round.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was still "evaluating whether or not to participate" in the next round of talks, citing what he called Washington's "irrational demands".

US officials, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff who represents Washington in the talks, have publicly described Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities as a red line.

Araghchi reiterated on Wednesday that Iran will continue enrichment "with or without a deal".

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Muscat, Oman (AFP) May 21, 2025 - Iran and the United States will hold the next round of talks on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in Rome later this week, Tehran and mediator Oman said Wednesday.

The arch-foes have held four rounds of nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between them since US President Donald Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term.

"The 5th round of Iran-US talks will take place in Rome this Friday," Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X.

Iran confirmed it would attend the meeting.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement that Tehran had agreed "to a proposal put forward by (mediator) Oman... to organise another round of Iran-US talks" in the Italian capital on Friday.

The talks aim for a new agreement that would curb Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed doubt this week over the talks.

"We don't think it will lead to any outcome. We don't know what will happen," he said.

Denying Iran's right to enrich uranium was "a big mistake", Khamenei added.

His remarks came after the United States' key negotiator in the talks, Steve Witkoff, voiced opposition to any Iranian uranium enrichment.

"An enrichment programme can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," he told right-wing Breitbart News in an interview published on May 9.

Iran has repeatedly insisted its right to maintain uranium enrichment was "non-negotiable".

On Sunday, its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran would keep enriching uranium "with or without a deal" on his country's nuclear programme.

The Islamic republic currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Trump effectively torpedoed the deal in 2018 during his first term, by unilaterally pulling out and reimposing sanctions on Iran's oil exports and banking sector.

A year later, Iran began rolling back its commitments to the agreement, which had offered sanctions relief in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities.

The three European powers -- party to the 2015 accord -- are weighing whether to trigger the "snapback" mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance. That option expires in October.

Araghchi earlier this month warned of "irreversible" consequences if Britain, France and Germany moved to reimpose sanctions.

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]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Jerusalem (AFP) May 20, 2025 - Israeli authorities said Tuesday that they had arrested two citizens suspected of carrying out "intelligence-gathering missions" at Iran's behest near the defence minister's home.

The arrests are the latest in a spate of cases in which Israel has charged its own citizens with spying for the country's arch-foe since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

Police and the Shin Bet domestic security agency said that "in a joint operation... Roi Mizrachi and his friend, Almog Attias, both 24, were arrested at the end of April for committing security offences after collecting intelligence in Kfar Ahim", where Defence Minister Israel Katz lives.

The men were acting "on behalf of Iran" and motivated by "financial gain", said the statement from the security agencies.

On Sunday, authorities announced the arrest of an 18-year-old Israeli accused of spying on former prime minister Naftali Bennet, also for Iran.

Other cases uncovered recently included alleged missions ranging from photographing military bases to plotting to kill senior Israeli officials.

Police said most suspects did not have special training and had faced financial difficulties.

Defence Minister Katz said in a statement he would not be "deterred" by attempts to spy on him.

"Iran is... directly advancing terrorist activity and supporting terrorist organisations that act against Israeli leaders and against all citizens of the State of Israel," he said.

"I will not be deterred by any threat and will continue to fulfil my duty to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons."

The Shin Bet and police said that Mizrachi and Attias were asked to carry out a number of missions near Katz's home.

Mizrachi had purchased a new cellphone and used "a special app" to communicate with his Iranian handlers, the security agencies said in their statement.

The pair were "fully aware they were acting under Iranian direction", the statement added.

Among the tasks Mizrachi had allegedly carried out, the agencies said he moved "a bag buried in the ground from one location to another" thinking that it "contained an explosive device".

Indictments against the two men are expected to be filed in the coming days, the statement said.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Tehran (AFP) May 20, 2025 - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that nuclear talks with the United States were unlikely to yield any results, amid a diplomatic standoff over the Islamic republic's enrichment activities.

"We don't think it will lead to any outcome. We don't know what will happen," said Khamenei during a speech, adding that denying Iran's right to enrich uranium was "a big mistake".

Iran and the United States have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord.

They had confirmed plans to hold another round of discussions during their last meeting on May 11, which Iran described as "difficult but useful", while a US official said Washington was "encouraged".

Chief US diplomat Marco Rubio told a Senate hearing in Washington on Tuesday that "we hope that we can reach an agreement with Iran".

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Iran has repeatedly insisted its right to maintain uranium enrichment was "non-negotiable", while chief US negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a "red line".

On Sunday, Witkoff reiterated that the United States "cannot allow even one percent of an enrichment capability."

"The American side involved in these indirect negotiations should refrain from speaking nonsense," said Khamenei.

On Tuesday, Rubio said that Iran could have civilian nuclear power while importing enriched uranium but that it wanted to keep its enrichment programme as "a matter of national pride" and "as a deterrent".

"They believe that it makes them a threshold nuclear power, and as a result... untouchable."

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi said "enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal".

"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," he said in a post on X.

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Iranian diplomats have said Tehran would be open to temporary restrictions on how much uranium it enriches and to what level.

Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" approach against Iran.

While backing nuclear diplomacy, he also warned of potential military action if it fails.

Trump has said he presented Iran's leadership with an "olive branch", adding that it was an offer that would not last forever.

He further threatened to impose "massive maximum pressure", including driving Iranian oil exports to zero if talks failed.

Trump later doubled down on his warning, saying that "something bad is going to happen" unless the Iranians "move quickly" towards a deal.

Iranian officials, however, criticised what they described as "contradictory" positions by US officials along with the continued imposition of sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry and nuclear programme despite the talks.

Araghchi on Tuesday criticised "positions from the United States that were inconsistent with any logic and reason".

Iran's top diplomat said these stances "have caused serious disruptions in the negotiation process."

"As a result, no date has been set for the next round of talks, and the matter remains under review," he added.

On Sunday, Araghchi said Iran has been observing "dissonance ... between what our US interlocutors say in public and in private."

On Friday, Iran held parallel talks with Britain, France and Germany -- all parties to the 2015 deal.

They are currently weighing the reimposition of UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance.

The option to trigger the sanctions mechanism expires in October.

Araghchi said Iran was willing to "begin a new chapter" with Europe and urged it to play a role in the nuclear negotiations.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Tehran (AFP) May 20, 2025 - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that nuclear talks with the United States were unlikely to yield any results, amid a diplomatic standoff over the Islamic republic's enrichment activities.

"We don't think it will lead to any outcome. We don't know what will happen," said Khamenei during a speech, adding that denying Iran's right to enrich uranium was "a big mistake".

Iran and the United States have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord.

They had confirmed plans to hold another round of discussions during their last meeting on May 11, which Iran described as "difficult but useful", while a US official said Washington was "encouraged".

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Iran has repeatedly insisted its right to maintain uranium enrichment was "non-negotiable", while chief US negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a "red line".

On Sunday, Witkoff reiterated that the United States "cannot allow even one percent of an enrichment capability."

"The American side involved in these indirect negotiations should refrain from speaking nonsense," said Khamenei.

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi said "enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal".

"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," he said in a post on X.

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Iranian diplomats have said Tehran would be open to temporary restrictions on how much uranium it enriches and to what level.

Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" approach against Iran.

While backing nuclear diplomacy, he also warned of potential military action if it fails.

Trump has said he presented Iran's leadership with an "olive branch", adding that it was an offer that would not last forever.

He further threatened to impose "massive maximum pressure", including driving Iranian oil exports to zero if talks failed.

Trump later doubled down on his warning, saying that "something bad is going to happen" unless the Iranians "move quickly" towards a deal.

Iranian officials, however, criticised what they described as "contradictory" positions by US officials along with the continued imposition of sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry and nuclear programme despite the talks.

On Sunday, Araghchi said Iran has been observing "dissonance ... between what our US interlocutors say in public and in private."

On Friday, Iran held parallel talks with the Britain, France, and Germany -- all parties to the 2015 deal.

They are currently weighing the reimposition of UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance.

The option to trigger the sanctions mechanism expires in October.

Araghchi said Iran was willing to "begin a new chapter" with Europe and urged it to play a role in the nuclear negotiations.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST London (AFP) May 19, 2025 - The UK foreign ministry said Monday it had summoned the Iranian ambassador for talks after three Iranians were charged with spying for Tehran at the weekend.

"The UK government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It added that Iran's ambassador "Seyed Ali Mousavi was summoned in response to three Iranian nationals charged under the National Security Act."

Earlier Monday, Tehran summoned a British envoy in the Iranian capital to protest the arrests.

Three Iranian men appeared in a London court on Saturday charged with spying for the Islamic republic's intelligence services.

They were arrested on May 3 and identified as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all living in London.

The British Home Office said they were irregular migrants who arrived by small boat or other means, such as hidden in a vehicle, between 2016 and 2022.

The BBC reported that the three were allegedly plotting to attack UK-based journalists working for the Farsi-language Iran International television news network which has been labelled a "terror" organisation by Tehran.

The alleged spying took place from August 2024 to February 2025, according to UK police.

A fourth man was arrested on May 9 as part of the investigation, but has now been released without charge, the police said in a statement.

Five Iranians were also arrested on May 3 in a separate investigation.

Four of the men -- who had been held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act -- were released, although the investigation "remains active and is ongoing", police said.

The fifth was earlier bailed until an unspecified date in May.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Istanbul (AFP) May 16, 2025 - Iran met with European powers on Friday to discuss its nuclear negotiations with Washington, while US President Donald Trump issued a new threat unless the Iranians "move quickly" towards a deal.

The meeting in Istanbul followed remarks by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning of "irreversible" consequences if Britain, France and Germany move to reimpose United Nations sanctions that were lifted under a landmark 2015 agreement.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks in the Turkish city, said in a post on X: "We exchanged views and discussed the latest status of the indirect nuclear negotiations and the lifting of sanctions."

Gharibabadi added that, if necessary, Tehran would meet again with the so-called E3 -- the European parties to the 2015 deal along with China, Russia and the United States -- to continue discussions, after several meetings since last year.

Trump had effectively torpedoed the deal during his first term, by unilaterally abandoning it in 2018 and reimposing sanctions on Iran's banking sector and oil exports.

A year later, Iran responded by rolling back its own commitments under the deal, which provided relief from sanctions in return for UN-monitored restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities.

Speaking Friday in Abu Dhabi, Trump said that his administration had handed Iran a proposal for a new agreement, after four rounds of negotiations in recent weeks.

"They have a proposal, but more importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad is going to happen," Trump said.

Araghchi later wrote on X that "Iran has not received any written proposal from the United States, whether directly or indirectly".

He added that an agreement can be reached if Washington lifts sanctions and respects "our rights" -- including to enrich uranium.

"Mark my words: there is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes," Araghchi said.

The Iran-US talks mediated by Oman were the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington abandoned the nuclear accord.

- 'Sustain diplomacy' -

The three European powers have been weighing whether to trigger the 2015 deal's "snapback" mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance -- an option that expires in October.

Such a stance "risks provoking a global nuclear proliferation crisis that would primarily affect Europeans themselves", Iran's top diplomat has warned.

However, writing in the French weekly Le Point, he also noted that Tehran was "ready to turn the page" in its relations with Europe.

Gharibabadi said after Friday's meeting that "Iran and the three European countries are determined to sustain and make optimal use of diplomacy".

In a post on X, the UK Foreign Office's political director, Christian Turner, said the parties reaffirmed their "commitment to dialogue, welcomed ongoing US/Iran talks, and given urgency, agreed to meet again."

A US official said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Friday with the French, British and German national security advisers in Istanbul for talks on Iran and Ukraine.

Araghchi has said that the talks with the Europeans and the United States were proceeding on separate track.

China, which held recent talks with Iran on its nuclear programme, said ahead of Friday's talks that it remained "committed to promoting a political and diplomatic settlement of the Iran issue".

- 'Getting close' -

Speaking on a visit to Qatar Thursday, Trump said the United States was "getting close" to a deal with Iran that would avert military action.

"We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran," he said.

Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails.

Trump has said he presented Iran's leadership with an "olive branch", adding that it was an offer that would not last forever.

He further threatened to impose "massive maximum pressure", including driving Iranian oil exports to zero if talks failed.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Tehran insists its right to continue enriching uranium for peaceful purposes is "non-negotiable" but says it would be open to temporary restrictions on how much uranium it enriches and to what level.

On Wednesday, Iran's atomic energy agency chief Mohammad Eslami reiterated that Tehran "does not seek nuclear militarisation", adding that enrichment was under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.

"The dismantling of enrichment is not accepted by Iran," he stressed.

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]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Washington DC (UPI) May 17, 2025 - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday his country will not back down from "threats" made by U.S. President Donald Trump, although he also favors continued negotiations between the two nations.

"We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue, but we are not afraid of threats either, and we will in no way retreat from our legal rights," Pezeshkian told a group of gathered naval officers in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas Saturday.

Pezeshkian did not elaborate on what threats he was referring to.

Earlier in the week, U.S. officials imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Iran and an alleged oil smuggling network.

The Trump administration is continuing to negotiate a new nuclear weapons deal with Tehran to curb Iran's uranium enrichment program. The latest round of talks in the Omani capital of Muscat last week were described by Iranian official as "difficult but useful."

No further talks have been publicly announced.

Trump this week did mention Iran in a speech in Saudi Arabia during his tour of the Middle East. The president referred to the Iranian regime as a corrupt government and chided the country's crumbling infrastructure while also touching on the ongoing nuclear talks between the two countries.

Trump also told reporters during that trip that negotiations needed to progress quickly or "something bad's gonna happen." He has also indicated the two sides were close to a deal and had "sort of" reached an agreement.

"No one but Trump himself believes his words against the Iranian nation," Pezeshkian said Saturday.

"On the one hand, he speaks of peace and stability and, on the other hand, he threatens (us) with the most sophisticated tools for homicide and with contradictory statements. He simultaneously sends messages of peace, bloodshed and insecurity," he said.

At a separate event Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump "lied," without specifying which comments he was referring to, adding they were unworthy of response.

Khamenei made the proclamation during a speech in Tehran, where supporters chanted "Death to America" in the crowd.

"The level of those remarks is so low that they are a disgrace for the one who uttered them and a disgrace to the American nation," Khamenei said without elaborating.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Srinagar, India (AFP) May 15, 2025 - India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday of failing to control their nuclear weapons, calling on the world to monitor their neighbour's arsenal just days after their most serious military confrontation in two decades.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan's nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN's atomic energy agency, while Islamabad said the international community should investigate a "black market" in India.

The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war before a ceasefire was brokered on Saturday.

"I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?" Singh told troops at a base in Indian-administered Kashmir.

"I believe that Pakistan's atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," Singh added.

Hours later, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the IAEA should instead probe "the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India".

"These incidents also suggest the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials inside India," he added.

But on Thursday, Dar announced there had been "military to military communications" and both sides had agreed to extend a ceasefire until Sunday, May 18.

- Ceasefire -

Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called "terrorist camps" in Pakistan following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 people.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack -- the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge.

Four days of intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges ensued, leaving nearly 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides.

Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and members of the IAEA, which regulates the use of nuclear weapons.

Pakistani ministers have repeatedly said the nuclear option was not on the table and that the country's nuclear governmental body was not summoned at any point during the recent conflict.

Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters on Sunday that escalating conflict between the nuclear rivals was "inconceivable and sheer stupidity".

"That conflict can lead to the peril of 1.6 billion people, so in reality there is no space for war between India and Pakistan," Chaudhry said.

- Restraint calls -

Fearing further escalation, global leaders had urged restraint from the arch-enemies with US President Donald Trump announcing the surprise truce.

The ceasefire has held since the weekend, following initial claims of violations from both sides.

But Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a call with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, expressed "concerns over the continued provocative and inflammatory remarks by Indian leadership, as a threat to the fragile regional peace".

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Thursday that a key water treaty, which governs river water critical to parched Pakistan for consumption and agriculture, would remain suspended "cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped".

His counterpart in Pakistan, Ishaq Dar responded calling the treaty "a no-go area".

"The treaty can't be amended, nor can it be terminated by any party unless both agree," he told parliament.

Militants have stepped up operations on the Indian side of Kashmir since 2019, when Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked the region's limited autonomy and imposed direct rule from New Delhi.

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir meanwhile said they killed three suspected militants on Thursday in the town of Tral, in Pulwama district south of Srinagar, the region's main city.

Police also said three other suspected militants died in a gun battle with soldiers on Tuesday in the southern Kashmir valley.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the territory since their 1947 independence from British rule.

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]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Tehran (AFP) May 16, 2025 - Iran is set to hold talks with Britain, France and Germany in Turkey on Friday, after US President Donald Trump said a nuclear deal with Tehran was "getting close".

The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of "irreversible" consequences if the European powers move to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran that were lifted under a 2015 deal.

The so-called E3 were parties to that agreement along with China, Russia and the United States.

But Trump effectively torpedoed the deal during his first term in 2018, by unilaterally abandoning it and reimposing sanctions on Iran's banking sector and oil exports.

A year later, Iran responded by rolling back its own commitments under the deal, which provided relief from sanctions in return for UN-monitored restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities.

The three European powers have been weighing whether to trigger the 2015 deal's "snapback" mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance -- an option that expires in October.

Such a stance "risks provoking a global nuclear proliferation crisis that would primarily affect Europeans themselves, Iran's top diplomat warned.

However, writing in the French weekly Le Point, he also noted that Tehran was "ready to turn the page" in its relations with Europe.

Friday's meeting with the European powers comes less than a week after a fourth round of Iran-US nuclear talks which Tehran called "difficult but useful", and after which a US official said Washington was "encouraged".

Araghchi said Friday's talks will be at deputy foreign ministers level.

- 'Getting close' -

Speaking on a visit to Qatar Thursday, Trump said the United States was "getting close" to a deal with Iran that would avert military action.

"We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran," he said.

The Oman-mediated Iran-US talks were the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington abandoned the nuclear accord in 2018.

Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails.

On Thursday, US news website Axios reported that the Trump administration had given Iran a "written proposal" for a deal during the fourth round of talks on Sunday.

Araghchi denied the report, saying "we have not been given anything".

He added however that "we are ready to build trust and transparency about our nuclear programme in response to the lifting of sanctions."

Trump has said he presented Iran's leadership with an "olive branch", adding that it was an offer that would not last for ever.

He further threatened to impose "massive maximum pressure", including driving Iranian oil exports to zero if talks failed.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Tehran insists its right to continue enriching uranium for peaceful purposes is "non-negotiable" but says it would be open to temporary restrictions on how much uranium it enriches and to what level.

On Wednesday, Iran's atomic energy agency chief Mohammad Eslami reiterated that Tehran "does not seek nuclear militarisation", adding that enrichment was under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.

"The dismantling of enrichment is not accepted by Iran," he stressed.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:12 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D