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Iran keeping ‘door open’ to talks with Trump

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said that coercion and intimidation would prove ineffective in the long-running stand-off between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear programme

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Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs says Tehran has kept the door open to negotiations with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, while warning the US that any attempt to reimpose “maximum pressure” on the country would fail to extract concessions.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Takht-Ravanchi said that coercion and intimidation would prove ineffective in the long-running stand-off between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“As for negotiations, we need to observe US policy and decide how to respond accordingly,” Takht-Ravanchi said.

“Right now, the key question is how the new administration will approach Iran, the nuclear issue, regional security and the Middle East. It’s premature to speculate about specific outcomes.”

Takht-Ravanchi said the nuclear deal reached with the West in 2015, from which Trump later withdrew the US, “could still serve as a foundation and be updated to reflect new realities”, adding that “if the other parties return to their commitments, we have repeatedly said that we are willing to do the same”.

He added: “We do favour negotiations, as we proved [with that deal] . . . But who sabotaged the negotiations previously? It was the Trump administration who was unwilling to negotiate.”

At the same time, the veteran diplomat and former nuclear negotiator warned that if Trump again takes a tough approach, “maximum pressure will be met with maximum resistance”.

“We will continue to work around sanctions, diversify our trade partners and strengthen regional relations to maintain calm,” he added.

During his first term as US president, Donald Trump sparked a nuclear stand-off with Iran after he abandoned the 2015 accord, known as the JCPOA, that Tehran had signed with world powers, and imposed waves of sanctions on the Islamic republic in what he called a “maximum pressure” campaign.

He accused Tehran of violating the “spirit” of the agreement by funneling newfound revenue to support its regional proxies, notably Lebanon’s Hezbollah. 

In retaliation, Iran dramatically expanded its nuclear activities, and is enriching uranium near to weapons-grade despite insisting its programme is for civilian purposes, Financial Times reported.

People familiar with Trump’s thinking have told the Financial Times his administration would try to “bankrupt” Iran to force the republic into talks.

The regional and nuclear crises have stoked fears in Tehran that Trump will once again try to drive Iran’s oil exports — its vital source of hard currency — to zero. In recent years Iran has substantially increased oil sales, mainly to China.

Takht-Ravanchi sought to downplay the potential for tighter oil sanctions under a second Trump presidency.

“While developments may occur, they won’t lead to significant changes,” he said, adding: “If the Trump administration decides to pursue the maximum pressure policy in the oil market again, it will surely fail. In today’s world, no single country can dictate terms to the entire international community.”

For now, he said, “We hope he doesn’t repeat the same mistake because the outcome will be no different.”

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India’s successful test of hypersonic missile puts it among elite group

The test-firing took place from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the eastern coast of Odisha state on Saturday, it said.

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India has successfully tested a domestically developed long-range hypersonic missile, it said on Sunday, attaining a key milestone in military development that puts it in a small group of nations possessing the advanced technology, Reuters reported.

The global push for hypersonic weapons figures in the efforts of some countries, such as India, which is striving to develop advanced long-range missiles, along with China, Russia and the United States.

The Indian missile, developed by the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation and industry partners, is designed to carry payloads for ranges exceeding 1,500 km (930 miles) for the armed forces, the government said in a statement.

"The flight data ... confirmed the successful terminal manoeuvres and impact with high degree of accuracy," it added.

The test-firing took place from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the eastern coast of Odisha state on Saturday, it said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the test a "historic achievement" in a post on X, adding that it placed India among a select group of nations possessing such critical and advanced technologies, read the report.

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Iran denies meeting between envoy and Elon Musk

The New York Times reported on Thursday that Musk, who is an adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations

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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday strongly denied a reported meeting between Tehran's United Nations envoy and U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, in an interview with state TV.

Araqchi also warned that Iran was "prepared for confrontation or cooperation" in its dispute with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA and Western countries within the body over its nuclear programme, Reuters reported.

"This (reported meeting) was a fabricated story by American media, and the motives behind this can also be speculated," Araqchi said, reiterating an earlier denial by Iran's Foreign Ministry.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that Musk, who is an adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iran's ambassador to the United Nations on Monday.

"In my opinion, the American media’s fabrication about a meeting between Elon Musk and Iran’s representative is a form of testing the waters to see if the ground for such move exists," Araqchi said.

"We are still waiting for the new U.S. administration to clarify its policies, and based on that, we will adjust our own policies. Right now, it is neither the time for such meetings nor is it appropriate," Araqchi said.

"There was no permission from the leadership for such a meeting," Araqchi said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state.

Relations between Tehran and the IAEA have soured over several long-standing issues, including Iran barring the agency's uranium-enrichment experts from the country and its failure to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites, Reuters reported.

"Our nuclear path in the coming year will be sensitive and complex, and we are prepared for confrontation or cooperation," Araqchi said.

He said that the 2015 nuclear deal, from which Trump exited in 2018 in his first term, no longer holds the same value for Iran.

"If negotiations begin, the nuclear pact may serve as a reference, but it no longer has its previous significance. We must reach a feasible agreement," Araqchi said.

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Regional

Netanyahu claims he and Trump see ‘eye to eye’ on Iran after holding 3 calls within days

Netanyahu said Trump’s historic return to the White House offers a ‘powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America’

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a voice message on Sunday night that he and US President-elect Donald Trump have spoken on the phone three times in the past few days and that both are on the same page about Iran. 

“In recent days, I have spoken three times with US President-elect Donald Trump. These were very good and important talks designed to further enhance the steadfast bond between Israel and the US.

“We see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects, and on the dangers they reflect. 

“We also see the great opportunities facing Israel, in the area of peace and its expansion, and in other areas,” he said.

Iran has vowed a “punishing” reprisal for unprecedented Israeli airstrikes against it on October 26, which Jerusalem said took out the Islamic Republic’s air defenses and missile production capabilities.

Israel’s strikes were in retaliation for Iran’s October 1 barrage of 200 ballistic missiles, which forced most of the country to take shelter and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank. 

Days earlier, Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime head of Hezbollah. Israel also killed Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in Tehran.

Trump will take control of the US in January and has a record of anti-Iran actions. 

In his first term, Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and Western powers and later re-imposed sanctions on Tehran. 

He also ordered the killing of Iranian commander, Qasem Soleimani, who led the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations arm, the Quds Force. 

The IRGC is a US-designated terrorist organization.

Trump and Netanyahu also worked closely together during the former’s presidency.

Last week, Netanyahu stated Trump’s victory was “history’s greatest comeback!”

In a message on X he wrote: “Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”

He went on to say that “this is a huge victory!”

Signing off he wrote: “In true friendship, yours, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu.”

Israeli media has meanwhile reported that Trump has made it clear to Netayahu that he wants the wars in Gaza and Lebanon to be wrapped up by his inauguration on January 20.

 

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