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Iran on Tuesday cautioned that outside pressure could damage diplomatic efforts as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to visit Washington for talks expected to include US negotiations with Tehran.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Tehran considers Washington its direct negotiating counterpart and urged the United States to act independently of what he described as destabilising regional influences. He accused Israel of historically opposing diplomatic initiatives that could lead to peace.
His remarks come after Iran and the United States resumed talks in Muscat last week, months after earlier negotiations collapsed following last year’s Israel-Iran conflict. That escalation saw Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military figures, nuclear scientists, facilities, and residential areas, followed by US strikes on nuclear-linked sites. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and targeted a major US military installation in Qatar.
Baqaei said the experience reinforced Tehran’s resolve to protect its national interests through diplomacy, while making clear that Iran’s negotiations remain focused strictly on the nuclear issue in exchange for sanctions relief. Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected expanding talks to other areas.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office signaled that Israel believes any agreement should also address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for allied armed groups in the region — conditions Tehran has consistently ruled out.
The renewed diplomatic push highlights deep divisions over the scope of any potential deal, even as both sides signal willingness to continue talks.
