Iran Rejects US Talks Amid Threats, Cites MoU

Iran on Tuesday ruled out negotiations on a final agreement with the United States as long as Washington continued issuing threats, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi urging the US to "honour" the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides.

In a post on X, Araghchi cited Paragraph 13 of the MoU, saying negotiations on a final deal would not begin if threats persisted.

"Para 13 of the MoU is clear: Negotiations on final Deal will not commence if threats continue. Honor your signature," he wrote.

The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would either strike a deal with Tehran or "finish the job", while claiming the US could destroy Iran's key energy and power infrastructure within hours if it chose to do so.

Araghchi also shared visuals from the funeral procession of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying millions of Iranians had gathered to honour his legacy and asserting that neither the Iranian people nor the country's armed forces would be intimidated by threats.

"Millions of proud Iranians rallied in unity to honor Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and his legacy. Neither them nor our Brave Armed Forces are moved by any threats," he said.

Trump had earlier said he preferred a negotiated settlement but warned that the US possessed the military capability to cripple Iran's critical infrastructure if diplomacy failed. His remarks followed earlier comments suggesting the US could eliminate Iran's remaining leadership if it wished, while keeping diplomatic channels open.

Iran has strongly condemned Trump's statements, accusing Washington of using coercive tactics and reiterating that meaningful negotiations cannot proceed under military threats.

(With inputs from ANI)