By Gloria Ogbonna
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that Tehran is prepared to demonstrate to the international community that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, as negotiations between Iran and the United States appear to be making significant progress toward a possible peace agreement.
The remarks come amid growing reports that diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran have entered a critical phase, with both sides reportedly working to finalize the framework of a potential memorandum of understanding that could reshape relations between the longtime adversaries.
On Saturday afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that an agreement with the Iranian regime had been “largely negotiated,” suggesting that substantial progress had been achieved behind closed doors. While Trump did not publicly disclose the full details of the negotiations, reports from U.S. officials indicated that Iranian negotiators may have signaled a willingness to abandon parts of their nuclear programme and hand over stockpiles of enriched uranium as part of a broader peace arrangement.
Although the Iranian government has not officially confirmed all aspects of the proposed agreement, President Pezeshkian’s latest comments appear to indicate openness to major concessions in order to ease tensions and move toward stability.
Speaking in comments published Sunday by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Pezeshkian said Iran remains committed to assuring the world that its intentions are peaceful.
“Prior to the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s late Leader, we declared — and we reiterate now — that we are ready to assure the world we do not seek nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian stated.
The Iranian president also insisted that Tehran is not seeking to fuel instability across the Middle East, although he stopped short of detailing exactly what steps the regime would take to prove its commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons ambitions.
His comments have sparked international attention, particularly as reports continue to emerge suggesting that Iran’s leadership may be prepared to accept stricter limitations on uranium enrichment in exchange for relief from U.S. sanctions and economic pressure.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that discussions with the United States are in their final stages and focused heavily on ending ongoing regional conflicts.
“We are in the stage of finalizing a memorandum of understanding, and the issues being discussed, as I mentioned before, are generally focused on ending the war,” Baqaei explained.
However, Baqaei appeared to downplay suggestions that Iran’s nuclear programme was at the center of the negotiations. He argued that Iran’s nuclear issue has often been used as justification for military confrontations against the Iranian people.
“We know that our nuclear issue has been a pretext for two wars against the Iranian people,” he said. “But we responsibly and wisely decided to prioritize and focus at this stage on an issue that is urgent for all of us, which is ending the war on all fronts — including Lebanon.”
Despite those remarks, reports from Washington suggest that nuclear disarmament remains one of the key components of the negotiations.
According to CBS News senior White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs, U.S. officials believe Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has already approved the broad principles of a peace proposal presented by the White House. The proposed framework reportedly includes Iran agreeing to dispose of its enriched uranium reserves in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions and blockades imposed by the United States.
Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly not appeared publicly since allegedly being injured during the early stages of Operation Epic Fury, adding further speculation about developments within Iran’s leadership circle during the negotiations.
Meanwhile, senior American officials have continued to express confidence that the United States can successfully pressure Iran into permanently abandoning any path toward acquiring nuclear weapons.
Speaking during a diplomatic trip to India on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the central objective of the negotiations remains preventing Iran from ever possessing a nuclear bomb.
“The ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” Rubio stated.
He added that the Trump administration believes meaningful progress has been made toward reaching an agreement capable of achieving that objective.
“We think we’ve made some progress on the outline of something that, if it works, could give us that outcome,” Rubio said, while cautioning that any final arrangement would still require “full Iranian acceptance, and then compliance.”
Rubio also strongly defended President Trump’s handling of the negotiations, dismissing criticism from opponents who fear the deal could ultimately strengthen Iran.
“There is no one who has been stronger on this issue than President Trump,” Rubio said. “The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd.”
President Trump echoed those sentiments in additional comments posted Sunday on Truth Social, once again insisting that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Trump sharply criticized the Iran nuclear agreement signed under former President Barack Obama, arguing that the Obama-era deal placed Iran on a path toward developing nuclear capabilities rather than stopping them.
He maintained that the current agreement being negotiated by his administration would be fundamentally different and “the exact opposite” of the previous deal.
“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” Trump wrote.
“The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!”
Trump concluded by emphasizing that while diplomatic relations between the two countries have become increasingly professional, the United States remains firm on one non-negotiable issue.
“They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” the president declared.
Source Breitbart
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