TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his negotiating team left Tehran for Geneva on Wednesday, state TV reported ahead of a third round of talks with the US.&nbsp;Washington and Tehran have already held two rounds of Oman-mediated talks aimed at reaching a deal on Iran&#39;s nuclear program.&nbsp;The US has repeatedly called for zero uranium enrichment by Iran but has also sought to address its ballistic missile program and support for militant groups in the region, demands Iran has rejected.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said once again that Iran would never be allowed to build a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran&#39;s leaders were &quot;at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions&quot;.&nbsp;Iran has repeatedly denied it is seeking a bomb but insists it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.&nbsp;Trump, who has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement, has deployed a significant naval force to the Middle East.&nbsp;Iran, for its part, has conducted several rounds of military drills in recent days, including in the country&#39;s south and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

Asia

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Geneva for a third round of Oman-mediated nuclear talks with the US. Washington demands zero uranium enrichment and curbs on missiles, while Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and defends peaceful nuclear rights.

Iran's top diplomat leaves for Geneva for talks with US

PARIS: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday ruled out Tehran ever giving up uranium enrichment in its <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-us-talks-with-iran-very-good-more-negotiations-expected" style="color:#0073e6;">negotiations</a> with Washington, insisting it will not be intimidated by the threat of war with the United States. Washington first threatened to intervene over Tehran&#39;s deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, with authorities on Sunday arresting three prominent reformists accused of anti-government rhetoric. They also imposed another hefty prison sentence on Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was arrested before the protests, on charges of harming national security. Araghchi told a forum in Tehran attended by AFP that Iran had little trust in Washington and doubted that the US side was taking renewed negotiations seriously. He later said Iran was consulting with its &quot;strategic partners&quot;, China and Russia, about the talks. &quot;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,&quot; Araghchi said at the forum. &quot;Their military deployment in the region does not scare us,&quot; he added, 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 in Oman for the first time since Israel&#39;s 12-day war with the Islamic Republic in June of last year, which the US briefly joined. 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 an atomic bomb, which the Islamic Republic 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. The US and Israel want the negotiations to go beyond the nuclear question and include Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles and support for armed groups in the region, issues Iran refuses to include in the talks. &#39;Peace through strength&#39;&nbsp;Washington&#39;s lead negotiators, envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, visited the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday, the US <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-launches-onewayattack-drone-force-in-middle-east" style="color:#0073e6;">military&#39;s</a> Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The ship was dispatched to the Middle East several weeks ago as part of a military buildup in the region, following US President Donald Trump&#39;s threats against Iran. In a social media post, Witkoff said the carrier and its strike group were &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 said they &quot;constitute a step forward.&quot; Following Friday&#39;s first round in Oman, Trump signed an executive order calling for fresh tariffs on countries still doing business with Iran. 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 on Sunday, Araghchi said ongoing &quot;sanctions and military actions raise doubts about the seriousness and readiness of the other side to conduct genuine negotiations.&quot; Arrests, sentencingThe talks between the two foes and the US <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-military-to-prioritize-homeland-and-curbing-china-limit-support-for-allies" style="color:#0073e6;">military</a> buildup in the region follow Iran&#39;s crackdown on anti-government protests that began in late December, sparked by economic grievances. Iranian authorities on Sunday arrested three reformist figures, including the head of Iran&#39;s Reform Front coalition, Azar Mansouri, the Fars news agency reported, listing charges that included &quot;targeting national unity&quot; and &quot;coordination with enemy propaganda,&quot; among others. After the demonstrations began, Mansouri posted on Instagram that &quot;when all avenues to be heard are closed, protest takes to the streets,&quot; later calling the death toll a &quot;great disaster.&quot; Meanwhile, jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was sentenced on Saturday to six years in prison on charges of harming national security and one-and-a-half years for &quot;propaganda&quot; against Iran&#39;s Islamic system, her foundation said in a statement. She was arrested after speaking out against the government at a funeral ceremony in December. The authorities in Iran have acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed in the 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 organisations have put the toll far higher.

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.

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's top diplomat leaves for Geneva for talks with US

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