Iranian daily says US strategy seeks to pit public against state

Ali Khamenei’s recent speech “clearly exposed the line of America’s betrayal” and warned the nation against trusting the US, said Ahmad Rastineh, a member of Iran’s parliament on Thursday.

He criticized pro-Western factions in Iran for seeing talks with Washington as a solution. Rastineh said ignoring Khamenei’s guidance had caused unnecessary costs for Iran, calling the Supreme Leader’s stance on nuclear negotiations “wise and transparent”.

Iranian media reported that the fifth round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington will be held at noon Friday in Rome.

The announcement came after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned the talks may lead nowhere.

“We are still weighing whether to attend the next round,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday, casting uncertainty over Iran’s participation just two days before the meeting.

Israel is making preparations to rapidly attack Iranian nuclear facilities if ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington collapse, Axios reported citing two Israeli sources with knowledge of the discussions, confirming an earlier report by CNN.

Israeli intelligence community has shifted just in the past few days from believing a was close to thinking talks could soon break down, the sources say.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is waiting for the Iran talks to collapse and for the moment US President Donald Trump will be disappointed about the negotiations and open to giving him the go ahead,” Axios said citing an Israeli source.

"No one dares to attack Iran,” as all parties are aware of the Islamic Republic’s defensive capabilities, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Saudi TV channel @AsharqNews.

“The language of threats does not work against Iran," he said, referring to the US threats to use the military option against Iran.

He described uranium enrichment as a “fundamental issue” for the Islamic Republic and said that major differences with the United States persist, particularly over uranium enrichment.

Responding to European threats to trigger the so-called "snapback" mechanism and restore UN sanctions against Iran, Araghchi said, “The threat is completely irrational and lacks legal and political basis. If Europe proceeds with it, it will be making a grave mistake and must accept the consequences.”

The US state department announced on Wednesday it would target more construction-related materials for sanctions, saying the sector was under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

It said the materials, which include sodium perchlorate, magnesium ingots, austenitic nickel-chromium alloy, tungsten copper and various other metals could aid Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

"With these determinations, the United States has broader sanctions authorities to prevent Iran from acquiring strategic materials for its construction sector under IRGC control and its proliferation programs," the state department said in a statement.