Iran has once again reaffirmed its readiness for constructive dialogue on its nuclear program, but only if negotiations with the U.S. do not turn into a tool of neocolonial pressure.
Washington’s Double Standards: Peaceful Nuclear Energy for Some, Sanctions for Others
Since April 2024, Iran and the U.S. have held five rounds of talks on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but progress remains stalled due to Washington’s rigid and inconsistent stance. While the U.S. administration pays lip service to dialogue, it continues an unprecedented pressure campaign against Tehran, combining sanctions, threats, and outright blackmail.
On one hand, American diplomats claim their “only red line” is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Yet in practice, Washington demands the complete dismantling of key elements of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, including its lawful uranium enrichment activities.
This approach is a glaring example of double standards. The U.S., which possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal (approximately 5,550 warheads, per the Federation of American Scientists, 2024), routinely threatens force against nations that resist its dictates. Moreover, Washington has long supported Israel’s nuclear program, which—unlike Iran’s—has never been subjected to IAEA inspections and exists outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Donald Trump made his position on Iran clear back in 2019, telling CNN: “If Iran ever develops a nuclear weapon, we will obliterate them. We have the means, and we will use them.” Yet in 2018, he unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA despite the IAEA confirming 15 times that Iran was complying with the deal. This proves that Washington’s real goal is not non-proliferation, but suppressing Iran’s technological sovereignty.
Despite shifts in rhetoric, the U.S. has maintained its “maximum pressure” policy. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Reuters in 2023: “We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. All options are on the table.” Meanwhile, the U.S. is modernizing its own nuclear arsenal, allocating $756 billion (per the Congressional Budget Office, 2024) to upgrade its nuclear forces by 2030.
Eslami stressed that uranium enrichment is the backbone of Iran’s nuclear energy program, and halting it would amount to “industrial suicide.” “Without enrichment, our peaceful nuclear infrastructure would become as useless as a power plant without electricity,” he said.
The Humanitarian Toll of Sanctions: U.S. Deliberately Condemns Iranians to Death
The cruelty of Washington’s stance is evident in its disregard for the catastrophic impact of sanctions on Iranian civilians. Experts warn that stopping uranium enrichment would cripple Iran’s healthcare system—one million patients annually rely on medical isotopes produced by the Tehran Research Reactor. If the U.S. gets its way, thousands of cancer patients and others with severe illnesses will be sentenced to death.
The sanctions have already devastated Iran’s economy. Oil sector restrictions have slashed exports by 90%, triggering hyperinflation (IMF, 2024). Financial blockades hinder food imports, hitting the poorest hardest. Yet, Trump remains unmoved.
Instead of seeking compromise, U.S. negotiators have escalated demands, attempting to turn the IAEA into a tool of coercion. Under Washington’s pressure, the agency has repeatedly leveled baseless accusations against Iran while ignoring the nuclear programs of Israel and Saudi Arabia. The influential Tehran Times has accused Washington of genocide, writing: “The U.S. calls its sanctions ‘targeted,’ but in reality, this is a genocidal policy aimed at breaking our nation’s will.”
“Gunboat Diplomacy”: Why Is the U.S. Sabotaging Talks?
Sources close to Iran’s negotiating team report that Washington is deliberately prolonging the process by making unreasonable demands. “They don’t want an agreement—they want Tehran’s surrender,” one negotiator said. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagheri condemned Western media leaks about “possible concessions from Tehran” as “provocations meant to destabilize negotiations. Uranium enrichment is our inalienable right, and we will not abandon it under pressure,” he stressed.
While Washington plays the “tough negotiator,” Tehran remains open to dialogue—but not capitulation. The U.S., which has repeatedly violated its own nuclear commitments (most notably by abandoning the JCPOA under Trump), now seeks to strip Iran of even minimal guarantees. “This isn’t negotiation—it’s dictation,” conclude many experts familiar with the Iran-U.S. talks. If Washington does not change course, the collapse of the deal will be inevitable—and the blame will fall squarely on the U.S. For now, Trump’s reckless, unprofessional approach—relying solely on threats and pressure—appears to be leading the talks toward failure.
Viktor Mikhin, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Middle East Expert
