Iranian president, foreign minister visit Oman amid nuclear diplomacy

An Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday that the United States relies more on Iran’s internal dysfunction than its own strength to pressure the country, blaming government mismanagement for many of the nation’s problems.

“The United States has placed more faith in our mismanagement, inaction, and lack of accountability than in its own power,” said Salman Es’haghi, a member of parliament from Qaenat, during a speech in a public session.

He said the suffering of ordinary Iranians stems less from foreign sanctions and more from poor decision-making at home. “The pain of the people is not US hostility or sanctions — it’s the failure of our own officials to act responsibly,” he said.

A senior Iranian cleric said on Tuesday that missile production and nuclear technology remain non-negotiable issues for Tehran in any indirect talks with the United States.

“Missile production in Iran’s missile cities and our nuclear technology are red lines,” said Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s interim Friday prayer Imam, according to local media.

Khatami also accused what he called Western-backed media of spreading disinformation aimed at dividing Muslims. “These hostile media outlets, supported by America and the West, are trying to disturb public opinion through fake news in cyberspace,” he said.

Iran is open to compromise in nuclear talks with the United States, but uranium enrichment remains non-negotiable, CNN reported citing an interview with foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday.

“If the intention is to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program would not be weaponized, I think that’s something that we could simply do,” Baghaei said.

Read more here.

A conservative Iranian newspaper on Tuesday criticized what it described as exaggerated optimism among some domestic political circles over recent US remarks in the context of nuclear negotiations, calling such interpretations harmful and misleading.

“The positions of American officials in the talks are nothing more than lollipops,” Farhikhtegan daily wrote, warning that loosely interpreted “positive signals” should not be taken as signs of imminent agreement. “Domestic groups should not pin their hopes on vague, non-binding comments from US leaders, including the president himself.”

The paper argued that this narrative of premature optimism distracts from Iran’s negotiating strategy and can destabilize the economy. “Such misreadings create unrealistic public expectations and fuel volatility in the markets,” it said.

“Any unsupported narrative weakens Iran’s position at the table and emboldens the other side,” it warned.

Iran remains firm on its right to enrich uranium and will not accept any foreign limits on the program, the country's judiciary spokesman said on Tuesday.

“Uranium enrichment is the Islamic Republic’s undeniable right,” spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters. “The Americans saying they won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium is a gross overstep.”

He added that Iran “acts in accordance with international law” and that “no one has the right to ignore this right.”

Jahangir also cautioned negotiators to avoid sending signals that could encourage adversaries. “We must act in a way that doesn’t tempt the enemy into miscalculation,” he said.