Tehran Issues Stark Warning Ahead of Scheduled Nuclear Talks
Iran declared on Monday that any U.S. military strike, regardless of scale, would be met with a “ferocious” response. The warning from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei comes as President Donald Trump reportedly considers limited strikes against the Islamic Republic to pressure it in upcoming negotiations.
“Any strike, even limited, would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period,” Baqaei stated at a briefing in Tehran. “And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that’s what we would do.”
Diplomatic Efforts and Military Buildup
The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Middle East, aiming to leverage this buildup in negotiations scheduled to restart on Thursday. These are indirect talks, mediated by Oman, with a second round having concluded in Switzerland last Tuesday.
While Iran and Oman have confirmed the Thursday meeting, the United States has not officially commented on the schedule. The European Union, largely sidelined in recent mediation efforts, has urgently called for diplomacy.
“We don’t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “It is true that Iran is at its weakest point that they have been. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.”
Core Dispute Over Nuclear Program
The talks remain fraught, with Iran insisting discussions are limited to its nuclear program. Western nations allege the program aims to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran consistently denies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads the negotiating team for Iran, while the U.S. is represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. In a recent interview, Witkoff expressed Trump’s frustration, questioning why Iran had not “capitulated” in the face of the U.S. military deployment—a notion Baqaei dismissed by referencing Iran’s historical resilience.
Domestic Unrest and International Concern
The heightened tensions occur against a backdrop of continued, scattered anti-government protests within Iran, which have been met with a violent crackdown. As the new university semester began, students rallied to commemorate those killed in recent demonstrations.
Fears of a broader conflict are growing. Several countries, including India, Sweden, Serbia, Poland, and Australia, have advised their citizens to leave Iran. India’s advisory alone concerns an estimated 10,000 of its nationals in the country.
The international community watches cautiously as the region braces for a pivotal week of diplomacy shadowed by the threat of military escalation.
