Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi

Iran has taken a defiant stand against US’ looming threat saying that it will not be intimidated by the military presence in the Gulf. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday, “Their military deployment in the region does not scare us,” following a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, as reported by AFP.Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian talked about the US-Iran dialogue over the future of Tehran’s nuclear programme that concluded on Friday with a general understanding to keep diplomacy on track. He added that the talks remain Tehran’s preferred strategy for resolving disputes. Writing on X, he said the recent Iran-US talks, facilitated by friendly regional governments, were a positive step. “Our logic on the nuclear issue is the explicit rights in the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but will not tolerate the language of force,” Pezeshkian added.Both Iranian officials and Omani mediators indicated that additional rounds of talks could take place in the coming days.Iranian FM Araghchi also described the eight-hour discussions as a “good start” held in a constructive atmosphere. He said the continuation of the process would depend on internal consultations in both Washington and Tehran, while stressing that meaningful dialogue must proceed without threats.Military tensions between the two nations remain just beneath the surface. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a trip publicised by US Central Command. Witkoff said the carrier strike group was “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength.”Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had cautioned that any US attack would trigger retaliation against American bases in the region. He also reiterated that Iran’s missile programme was “never negotiable,” describing it as a matter of national defence and dismissing calls from Washington and Israel to expand the talks beyond the nuclear issue.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump in Washington. His office has said that any potential agreement must place limits on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and end Tehran’s support for regional allies.