US assured Iran no regime change plot, deputy FM says

Iran has said the United States must rule out any further military strikes if it hopes to resume diplomatic talks over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Addressing the contentious issue of regime change, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi conveyed that Iran has received assurances through mediators that the US does not intend to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or seek regime overthrow, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He dismissed calls by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an Iranian uprising as “tantamount to a futile exercise,” emphasizing Iranian national unity against foreign aggression despite internal criticisms of government policies.

Takht-Ravanchi stressed that Washington must provide assurances before negotiations can proceed.

“The Trump administration told Iran through mediators that it wanted to return to negotiations this week,” Takht-Ravanchi revealed. “But [it] had not made its position clear on the very important question of further attacks while talks are taking place.”

The call for clarity follows a sharp escalation earlier this month, when Israel bombed Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iran responded with missile attacks, and the US entered the conflict directly on 21 June, striking three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Takht-Ravanchi said he could not assess the full extent of the damage. While International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi described the impact as “severe but not total,” former US President Donald Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear facilities were “totally obliterated.”

Despite the strikes, Iran maintains its right to enrich uranium. “We will insist on being able to enrich uranium for what we say are peaceful purposes,” Takht-Ravanchi stated. “To say that you should not have enrichment, you should have zero enrichment, and if you do not agree, we will bomb you – that is the law of the jungle.”

Iran is currently enriching uranium up to 60% purity, close to weapons-grade level. “The level of that can be discussed, the capacity can be discussed,” he said, but added: “Why should we agree to such a proposal?”

He also criticised European leaders for backing the US and Israel: “Those who are criticising Iran over its nuclear program should criticise the way that we have been treated... And if they do not have the guts to criticise America, they should keep silent, not try to justify the aggression.”

Takht-Ravanchi said Iran was ready for dialogue, but warned: “We have to be prepared, we have to be cautious, not to be surprised again.”

By Vafa Guliyeva