'Will not be intimidated by US threats,' says Iran amid rising tension
Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran will not yield to US pressure or abandon enrichment, voicing distrust of the Trump administration amid rising military tensions.
Amid rising military tensions with the US, which started with President Donald Trump’s threat to strike Iran if the regime in Tehran did not stop killing protesters, the Islamic Republic had said that it would not be intimidated by the US’ threat of war, adding that no one has the right to dictate its actions.
The remarks were made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday (February 8), who also made it clear that Iran has scant trust in the Trump administration and expressed suspicion about whether Washington was taking the ongoing renewed negotiations seriously.
Iran in talks with Russia, China
Addressing a forum, Araghchi further stated that Iran was in talks with its strategic partners, Russia and China, regarding the situation.
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"Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour," Araghchi said as quoted by AFP.
"Their military deployment in the region does not scare us," he added, referring to the arrival of an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Arabian Sea.
‘Trump trying to impose jungle law’
He questioned the US’ commitment to diplomacy, stating, "The continuation of certain sanctions and military actions raises doubts about the seriousness and readiness of the other side to conduct genuine negotiations.”
"We are monitoring the situation closely, assessing all the signals and will decide on the continuation of the negotiations,” he added.
Lashing out at Trump, Araghchi accused him of trying to enforce “law of the jungle,” adding that it leaves other countries no other option but to resist and become stronger.
‘US attacking any place it wants’
According to a report in IRNA, the regime-backed news agency in Iran, Araghchi further alleged that under the Trump administration, the US “attacks any place it wants, abducts the president of any country it wants and tells him to do what it intends. It tells another [country] to cede a specific island, and tells another to change the name of a specific region.”
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“This situation, in fact, represents a return to the ‘law of the jungle,’ where the stronger impose their will on others,” he added.
“Therefore, there is no choice but to become strong. If you are weak, you will be crushed. This is the first principle of the law of the jungle and the same principle behind ‘peace through force.’ If you lack power, the peace they want will be imposed on you,” Araghchi said.
“For this reason, becoming stronger is an obligation for us, and one of the keys to gaining strength is the power of resistance that is, the ability to stand firm against pressure,” he added.
‘Iran not pursuing an atomic bomb’
Refuting the US’ allegation that Iran was trying to obtain an atomic bomb, the Iranian Foreign Minister said "They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers. The secret of the Islamic Republic's power is in the power to say no to the powers.”
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Araghchi’s remarks came after US lead negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
In a social media post, Witkoff said the carrier and its strike group were “keeping us safe and reinforcing President Trump’s message of peace through strength”.
The shadow of war continues to hang over the negotiations, even as Trump described the talks as “very good” and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said they marked “a step forward”.
Trump’s tariff move on Iran’s trading partners
Following the first round of discussions held in Oman on Friday, Trump signed an executive order calling for the “imposition of tariffs” on countries continuing trade with Iran despite US sanctions.
Washington has also announced fresh sanctions against a number of shipping companies and vessels, aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports.
The talks and the US military buildup come amid Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests that erupted in late December over economic grievances.
Iranian authorities say 3,117 people were killed, a figure disputed by international rights groups.