Iran says canceled Rome meeting led to scrapped talks with Europeans

Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed recent remarks by US President Donald Trump questioning Tehran’s need for nuclear energy, calling them “scientifically baseless.”

“The claim that Iran doesn’t need nuclear energy due to fossil fuel reserves has no real or scientific foundation,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday.

Baghaei also said the framework for talks with the US remains unchanged, adding that “Tehran’s stance is rooted in international law and will not shift under media pressure.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said his goal in talks with Iran is the “total dismantlement” of the country’s nuclear program but added that he is open to hearing arguments for allowing Iran to pursue civilian nuclear energy.

The US appears to be retreating from its earlier acceptance of 3.67% uranium enrichment, raising doubts over the upcoming round of nuclear talks, said Ali Akbar Farazi, Iran’s former ambassador to Cyprus.

“Iran cannot abandon enrichment entirely, and under the NPT, it has the right to peaceful use,” he told ILNA Monday.

“Hardliners in Washington, under Israeli influence, aim to stall progress,” Farazi said. He urged negotiators to avoid delays over details once core issues are settled, and called for clearer messaging to Europe on Iran’s stance toward Russia and Ukraine to prevent further diplomatic friction.

Kayhan ultraconservative daily warned the government against devoting “most of its time and energy to negotiations with a regime it said has shown little goodwill,” urging instead a "proactive regional strategy."

The paper, overseen by a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called on officials to model their approach on the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration and suggested appointing former Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, now an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, as a key consultant.

The editorial also pressed for cabinet reform and a clear domestic roadmap independent of nuclear talks.

Former minister Abbas Akhoundi called Donald Trump a “strategic opportunity” for Iran if engaged with clarity and speed, Etemad reported.

He urged swift negotiations, warning that delays risk instability driven by personal, not institutional, decisions.

“Trump is not someone who waits around,” Akhoundi, who served as roads minister under President Hassan Rouhani, said. He also raised the prospect of restored diplomatic ties, saying eventual engagement between US and Iranian state institutions is necessary.

Akhoundi accused Israel of trying to derail the talks, warning it may resort to cyberattacks or even assassinations.

US and Iranian negotiators are set to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks later this week, Axios reported, as debate sharpens over the scope of a possible deal.

President Donald Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press he would only accept the “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program. “The only thing they can't have is a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Iran has publicly rejected such demands, saying its nuclear work is peaceful and non-negotiable.