Iran Hardens Stance Ahead of US Nuclear Talks, Rejects Uranium Transfers and Ballistic Missile Limitations

A top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled that Iran has hardened its negotiating stance ahead of renewed nuclear talks with the United States, publicly rejecting any transfer of uranium out of the country and refusing to negotiate over ballistic missiles or terrorist proxy forces.

The latest comments from Admiral Ali Shamkhani, a senior official on Iran’s Supreme National Defense Council, came as tensions continued to rise between the US and Iran over a potential military escalation in the Middle East.

In an interview with the Lebanese news outlet Al Mayadeen published on Monday, Shamkhani insisted that Iran’s nuclear program is “peaceful and within local capabilities,” while firmly reiterating nonnegotiable conditions for any resumption of talks with Washington.

“Iran neither seeks nor will ever seek nuclear weapons or stockpile them, but the other side must pay a price in return for this commitment,” Shamkhani said. 

“Enrichment at 60 percent can be rolled back to 20 percent if there are concerns, but only if the other side offers something in return,” he continued. 

The senior Iranian official also rejected media reports suggesting Tehran might transfer its stored enriched uranium abroad, including to Russia, saying, “There is no reason to move the stored material out” of the country.

This week, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled to meet with representatives from several Arab and Muslim countries, as they push forward renewed efforts to restart nuclear negotiations.

Set to take place on Friday, the high-level meeting would mark the first direct engagement between US and Iranian officials since nuclear talks collapsed after last June’s 12-day war, during which the US and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The potential restart of negotiations comes as Iran faces growing international pressure over its violent crackdown on anti-government protests, with the US escalating a massive military buildup in the region and repeatedly threatening the Islamist regime.

Just days ahead of the talks, the Iranian government has reportedly imposed new demands that retract previously agreed terms, including relocating negotiations from Istanbul to Oman and limiting them to a strictly bilateral format with Washington, threatening to destabilize an already fragile process, according to a report from Axios.

Cautious optimism about diplomacy has also been shaken by reported clashes between US and Iranian forces at sea.

The US military said on Tuesday that it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Hours later, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a US-flagged, US-crewed merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

In his Monday interview, Shamkhani said that if the White House seeks a mutual understanding, diplomatic talks should take place “away from atmospheres of threats and coercion,” with both sides having “equal standing at the negotiating table” and avoiding “illogical and unreasonable demands.”

“Iran has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to hold practical negotiations exclusively with the United States, and not with any other party,” Shamkhani told Al Mayadeen.

“The negotiations are strictly limited to the United States and the nuclear file, where a mutual agreement is possible,” he continued. “If their proposals are free of threats, based on logical conditions, and avoid arrogance, there is hope to prevent an unjustified catastrophe or incident.”

However, US President Donald Trump had reportedly demanded three conditions for resumption of talks: zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and ending the regime’s support for terrorist groups and other proxies across the Middle East.

Iran has long said all three demands are unacceptable, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its Islamist, authoritarian rulers view the ballistic missile program, not uranium enrichment, as the bigger issue.

In the last few weeks, Trump has repeatedly warned that he may take “decisive” military action against Iran if the regime continues killing protesters and refuses to return to the negotiating table.

Amid rising regional tensions, Washington has significantly increased its military presence in the region, moving a range of assets into the area — including the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group.

Echoing past comments from Iranian officials, Shamkhani said the country is “prepared for any circumstances that may arise,” emphasizing the regime’s readiness to confront both diplomatic pressures and potential military threats.

“We are essentially living in warlike conditions,” he said. “The Americans are in the region to defend Israel, while Iran serves as the force that restrains Israel and curbs its bullying and arrogance.”

“The assumption that the United States would act without Israel’s involvement is entirely wrong,” he continued. “Should the US strike, Israel will be inevitably involved and will face an appropriate response.”

The Iranian official warned that any attack on Khamenei, “no matter how small, would escalate into a colossal crisis far beyond what others can imagine.”

Iranian lawmakers last month similarly warned that any attack on Khamenei would lead to a declaration of “jihad,” or holy war, and a violent global response from the Islamic world.

“We will continue on this path,” Shamkhani said. “We will not allow them [the US and its allies] to make the region unsafe or force us into a situation we do not choose.”

“Iran will persist in its policies and continue supporting the path of resistance, including resistance groups in Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond,” he continued.

A common slogan of the Iranian protesters has been “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” with large swathes of the population opposing the regime’s commitment to spending billions of dollars to support terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.