Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities have remained defiant amid concerns that Israel could launch an attack on Iran as the global nuclear watchdog adopts another Western-led censure resolution.
Israel has long threatened to attack Iran’s nuclear sites.
He said Iran is not “defenceless and encircled” like Gaza, where the Israeli military has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Foreign Ministry jointly announced that the country would build its third uranium enrichment site at a “secure” location.
Ideas for a nuclear consortium that includes Iran’s neighbours to bolster trust have so far failed to provide any breakthrough.
Tehran, Iran – Amid fears that Israel might attack Iran, Iranian authorities have remained resolute as the international nuclear watchdog adopts yet another censure resolution led by the West.
Reports from U.S. and European officials quoted in The New York Times warned that Israel is “ready” to attack Iran, even without military support from Washington, despite Oman’s confirmation on Thursday that it will host a sixth round of negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program on Sunday. Israel has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear installations.
In another indication of the rising tension in the region, the administration of US President Donald Trump partially evacuated US embassy employees in Iraq and dependents of US personnel throughout the Middle East.
At a White House event on Thursday, Trump made a statement regarding the possibility of an Israeli strike: “I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen.”.
In a televised speech Thursday in the western city of Ilam, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated, “We will not give in to America’s coercion and bullying.” He noted that Iran had resisted an invasion by neighboring Iraq in the 1980s that lasted eight years and was supported by numerous foreign powers.
Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, told state television that Iran would launch a “historic-making” response to any attack by Israel that would surpass the two rounds of retaliatory strikes it launched against Israel last year.
He claimed that unlike Gaza, where the Israeli military has murdered over 55,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, Iran is not “defenceless and encircled.”.
Speaking to a crowd in Tehran, Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, stated that in the months following the earlier missile barrages against Israel, Iran’s armed forces have significantly improved their attacking capabilities.
He is in charge of the IRGC’s external force, which is responsible for increasing Iran’s influence in the region. The commander said, “If they believe that Iran and the axis of resistance have been weakened and then boast based on that, it is all a dream.”.
The Iranian military chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, said Thursday that he has ordered the start of additional military drills following a series of extensive drills conducted throughout Iran earlier this year. Those exercises included a variety of drones and missiles, warships, special forces, and even underground missile bases.
The defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, reaffirmed Wednesday that all US military installations in nations throughout the region are legitimate targets in the event of a conflict with the US.
Iran successfully launched an unidentified ballistic missile last week with a 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) warhead, he said, and he promised that the US would be forced to leave the area because of the greater casualties “on the other side.”.
Iran plans to construct a third enrichment facility.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board on Thursday passed a resolution condemning Iran for its developing nuclear program and a number of unresolved cases involving mysterious nuclear materials discovered at Iranian sites, following days of discussion.
Along with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—the three European countries that remain parties to Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, which Trump unilaterally renounced in 2018—the United States proposed the resolution in Vienna.
The resolution on Thursday was the most severe in almost 20 years, as the international nuclear watchdog has adopted a number of Western-led censure resolutions against Iran in recent years, accusing it of failing to fulfill its nuclear nonproliferation commitments.
The charge was described as “wholly baseless and fabricated” by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also claimed that Western nations are using the international organization as a means of applying political pressure.
Tehran’s reaction was noteworthy as well. Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization jointly declared that the nation would construct its third uranium enrichment facility at a “secure” site.
The Fordow enrichment plant will be equipped with sixth-generation centrifuges to replace first-generation ones, they added, significantly increasing Iran’s capacity to produce highly enriched uranium.
Currently, Iran’s only uranium enrichment facilities are those at Natanz and Fordow, both deep underground to guard against bunker-buster munitions used by Israel and the United States. Both of them are closely monitored by the IAEA.
Iran continues to enrich uranium up to 60% and insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and has civilian applications, including the production of radiopharmaceuticals and electricity. Building nuclear weapons requires uranium to be 90% pure.
The demand for “zero” enrichment hangs over negotiations.
Even though they continue to disagree on enrichment, the central issue for any possible agreement, Iran and the US are once again traveling to Muscat.
Trump, who now claims he is less confident about a deal with Iran, has insisted on “zero” enrichment occurring inside Iran, despite the 2015 nuclear deal allowing Iran to enrich uranium up to 37% under IAEA supervision.
Iran is expected to present a counterproposal shortly in an attempt to move the talks along after rejecting another US proposal this week that contained zero enrichment.
To date, there has been no progress on plans for a nuclear consortium that would involve Iran’s neighbors in order to foster trust.
Before traveling to the Omani capital for the most recent round of negotiations, US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Mossad chief David Barnea and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Friday.
Tehran depends on the sentiment of the country.
Authorities this week erected a massive sculpture of the Iranian mythological hero Arash Kamangir, also known as Arash the Archer, in Tehran’s Vanak sq\..
In Arash’s story, the hero risked his life to climb Mount Damavand, Iran’s highest peak at 5,609 meters (18,402 feet) and a patriotic landmark, in order to use his archery prowess to mark Iran’s borders. His arrow flies for days in the story before establishing Iran’s borders with Turan, a historically significant area in Central Asia.
The narrative inspires a feeling of patriotism in every Iranian. While some Iranians applauded the action when pictures of the sculpture went viral on social media, others criticized it as an attempt to stir up nationalist sentiment at a time when Iran could be attacked.
Translation: Today, a sculpture of Arash Kamangir at a height of 15 meters (50 feet) was placed in Tehran’s Vanak sq\..
Although the threat of war appears to be looming over Iran once more, the country’s markets have held steady in recent weeks as they await the outcome of talks with the United States.
Despite news of increased military and political pressure on Iran, the Iranian rial only slightly declined in value from the previous days, trading at around 840,000 to the US dollar on Thursday.
At Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, a 36-year-old vendor who asked to be anonymous told Al Jazeera, “Most people I’ve spoken to here are following the news of the talks with the US and Israel’s threats very closely, but there’s no panic.”.
Iran has had persistently high inflation following years of severe sanctions and local poor management. It is currently higher than 30 percent. Additionally, because of the sanctions, Iranians are prohibited from using the majority of international services and are disconnected from global payment networks.
Everyone wants to avoid war, the vendor stated. “As is, we have enough issues. I sincerely hope they are able to come to an agreement. “”.
