Former minister calls Trump a 'strategic opportunity' for Iran in nuclear talks

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.

A lawmaker in Iran’s parliament has urged caution in ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States, saying Tehran has always acted in good faith while Washington has not.

“The Islamic Republic has always shown its will and honesty in any negotiation,” Ali Khazaei said in remarks carried by local media.

He warned that Iran’s negotiators must be “very careful not to fall for American trickery,” adding that any talks should remain strictly limited to nuclear issues.

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Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday dismissed accusations linking Tehran to a recent Houthi missile attack against Israel, saying such "baseless" allegations are a pretext to justify what it called further destabilization of West Asia.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry praised the Yemeni rebels' attack on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport as “a courageous act of self-defense", adding that attributing the attack to Iran was a “disrespectful attempt to undermine the Houthis' independence."

Despite Iran's denial, Israel's prime minister said on Sunday that "attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran.

"Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters," the Israeli prime minister added.

"The Houthi attacks are Iranian attacks — Iran uses them as a proxy to spread terror and undermine the regional and global order," the Israeli foreign ministry said.

"The Houthis are the arm — the head is Iranian. The world must hold Iran accountable for these attacks." It added that "Israel has the right to defend itself, and it will exercise this right at a time of its choosing."

Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran had continued to support Yemen's armed Houthi movement despite an explicit warning from Washington and vowed unspecified consequences for Tehran.

Pete Hegseth wrote on X: "Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the US Military is capable of — and you were warned."

"You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing."

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"The Islamic Republic has never initiated a war in recent years and will not initiate any war in the future either, but if we are attacked or war is imposed on us, we will respond with strength," Defense Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh told the state TV when asked about US threats to attack Iran.

"If this war is initiated by the United States or Israel, the Islamic Republic will attack their interests, bases, and forces wherever they may be and whenever it deems necessary."

"We have no hostility toward neighboring countries—they are our brothers—but US bases are our targets," he said, referring to American bases in Arab countries neighboring Iran.

He also threatened to "employ weapons that have not been used until now" if a war is imposed on Iran.

Iran's defense minister on Sunday unveiled Qassem Bassir, a new ballistic missile that has a range of 1,200 km.

Aziz Nassirzadeh told the state TV the new missile can "easily penetrate THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems thanks to its upgraded maneuverability."

He said the missile was upgraded after Israel intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles during the April and October 2024 attacks.

With the new upgrade, he said, Israel won't be able to intercept more than five missiles in 200.

Nassirzadeh said the latest upgraded missile has been added to all Iranian underground missile bases.