Iranian missile on display. Iranian women walk next to a replica of the Etemad missile during a gathering to mark the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in front of the Azadi Tower in Tehran on February 10, 2025. Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images
Iran has warned it will respond firmly if the U.S. tries to impose demands on the Islamic Republic as it steps up pressure over its nuclear program.
"Every action compels a reaction," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Iran's comments come after President Donald Trump said he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, potentially signaling a shift in U.S.-Iran relations, blending diplomatic overtures with economic sanctions.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been escalating after Trump imposed his "maximum pressure" campaign, seeking to bring Tehran into renegotiating the terms of its nuclear program.
What To Know
Iranian officials, who denied receiving Trump's letter, accused the U.S. administration of "bullying."
"In the past, the US enjoyed respect from Iran whenever it was respectful in its discourse, and it was confronted whenever it adopted a threatening posture," Araghchi said Monday.
Iranian officials say they will not engage in negotiations under U.S. pressure. In February, a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, cited by the Associated Press, found that Iran has increased its production of uranium of near weapons-grade uranium.
The U.S. has laid out the possibility of military action against Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions, which it considers threatening.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox News: "There are two ways to deal with Iran: through military action or by reaching an agreement. I'd rather reach an agreement because my goal isn't to harm Iran. They're wonderful people."
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi: "Iran's nuclear energy program has always been-and will always remain entirely peaceful. There is fundamentally therefore no such thing as its "potential militarization". We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be. Negotiation is different from bullying and issuing diktats. We are now consulting with the E3-and separately with Russia and China-on equal footing and mutual respect. The aim is to explore ways to build more confidence and more transparency on our nuclear energy program in return for the lifting of unlawful sanctions."
Iran's U.N. Mission: "If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-à-vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration. However, should the aim be the dismantlement of Iran's peaceful nuclear program to claim that what Obama failed to achieve has now been accomplished, such negotiations will never take place."
What Happens Next
The U.N. Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door meeting on Wednesday to discuss Iran's increase in its stockpile of uranium near weapons-grade levels, according to Reuters.
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This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 4:44 AM.