Tehran blasts West as nuclear talks with US postponed

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Friday condemned new United States sanctions and remarks by France’s foreign minister suggesting Tehran is nearing nuclear weapons capability, following the postponement of the fourth round of nuclear talks with Washington.

“The Islamic Republic strongly condemns the continuation of illegal sanctions and pressure on the country’s trade and economic partners, viewing it as further evidence justifying the Iranian nation’s deep mistrust and skepticism regarding the seriousness of the US about pursuing diplomacy,” the Iranian foreign ministry stated on Friday.  

The ministry said it remains committed to diplomacy and continued talks, but firmly rejected any threats or pressure, calling them violations of the United Nations Charter, international law, and Iran’s national sovereignty and human rights.

“The continuation of these unlawful actions will in no way alter Iran’s logical and legitimate policies that are in line with international law,” it said. 

The US on Wednesday announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil trade. On Thursday US President Donald Trump called for a global boycott of all Iranian oil and petrochemical products, writing on Truth Social that “all purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!”, as reported by AFP. 

The fourth round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran has been postponed. Tehran said the delay came at the request of the Omani foreign minister, who is serving as mediator, though Washington said the talks had not been confirmed.

The negotiations about Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief began after Trump said he wanted to broker a deal, claiming that Iran is close to getting a nuclear weapon.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that Iran has violated its nuclear commitments and is advancing toward acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a statement from the French Embassy in London on Wednesday.

The spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmail Baghaei, dismissed Barrot’s comments in a post on X on Friday. “French Foreign Minister’s claim that Iran is on the 'cusp of developing' a nuclear weapon is simply absurd,” he said.