Iran Rules Out Defence Talks with West

Iran has firmly rejected any negotiations with Western powers over its military capabilities, following recent calls from France for a broader deal that would include Tehran’s missile programme and regional activities.

“There will absolutely be no discussion on matters related to our defence capabilities,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei at a press briefing on Monday. Iran has long insisted that its military activities, including its ballistic missile programme, are purely defensive.

His comments came in response to remarks made by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot during an interview on US television, in which he called for a “comprehensive agreement” with Iran. Barrot said such a deal should cover not only the country’s nuclear ambitions but also its ballistic missile programme and its support for armed groups across the Middle East.

Barrot warned that if no robust and verifiable agreement is reached by the end of the summer, France, Germany, and the UK would have no choice but to reinstate UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal — a process known as the “snapback mechanism”.

The call follows high-level talks between Iranian, French, German and British diplomats in Istanbul on Friday — the first such nuclear discussions since last month’s deadly Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities triggered a 12-day war.

Iran has warned it may quit the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if new sanctions are imposed. “One cannot expect a country to remain in the treaty while being deprived of its stated rights, particularly the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Baqaei said.

He also confirmed that last week’s Istanbul meeting focused solely on nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions. “Raising unrelated topics is merely a sign of confusion on the part of the other side,” he added.

Tensions between Tehran and Western powers have been exacerbated by the recent conflict with Israel, in which Israeli attacks reportedly killed top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists, as well as civilians. The United States also briefly joined the hostilities, targeting Iranian nuclear sites.

Baqaei said that Iran had emerged from the conflict with “even more determination to safeguard all their assets, including their means of defence against foreign aggression and hostility”.