Tehran (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader indicated on Thursday that Iran might halt its collaboration with the UN nuclear watchdog if external threats persist. This statement follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed warnings of military action if Tehran fails to reach a nuclear agreement.
Iranian and US diplomats will visit Oman on Saturday to start discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme, with Trump stating he would have the final word on whether talks are reaching a breakdown, which would place Iran in “great danger”.
How is Iran responding to Trump’s military warnings?
“Continued external threats and putting Iran under the conditions of a military attack could lead to deterrent measures like the expulsion of IAEA inspectors and ceasing cooperation with it,”
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published on X, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“Transferring enriched material to safe and undisclosed locations in Iran could also be on the agenda,”
He wrote.
استمرار تهدیدات خارجی و قرار گرفتن ایران در شرایط #حمله_نظامی میتواند منجر به اقداماتی بازدارنده مانند #اخراج_بازرسان آژانس بینالمللی #انرژی_اتمی و قطع همکاری با آن شود. انتقال #مواد_غنیشده به مکانهای امن و نامشخص در ایران نیز میتواند در دستور کار قرار گیرد.
— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) April 10, 2025
Why is Iran choosing indirect negotiations with Washington?
A few days ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran would only engage in indirect talks with the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, during the upcoming nuclear discussions in Oman, abandoning any alternative formats.
“We chose indirect negotiations to avoid threats and pressure from Washington,”
Araghchi said, according to the official news agency IRNA, emphasising that the structure of the discussions must protect Iranian interests and dignity. The minister emphasised that a “real agreement” is possible if the other side is “serious.”
What are the stakes if nuclear talks break down?
The U.S. maintains that discussions with Tehran will be direct, whereas Iran emphasizes that they will be conducted indirectly with the help of Oman’s foreign minister. During his first 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 agreement established between Iran and global powers aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. He also reinstated extensive U.S. sanctions.
Since then, Iran has exceeded the uranium enrichment limits outlined in that agreement, as reported by the IAEA.
Western nations claim that Iran harbors a secret intention to develop nuclear weapons by enriching uranium to a level of fissile purity they deem excessive for a civilian nuclear energy program. Meanwhile, Tehran asserts that its nuclear endeavors are entirely focused on peaceful energy generation.
