Iran has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to dictate United States policy during ongoing nuclear negotiations, following his calls for Tehran’s nuclear programme to be dismantled and its missile capabilities included in any agreement.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised Netanyahu’s intervention in a post on X, saying, “What is striking… is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.”
Netanyahu had earlier stated that any genuine agreement between Washington and Tehran must eliminate Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons and also address the country’s ballistic missile programme. His remarks came shortly after a third round of high-level talks between US and Iranian delegations concluded in Oman, with both sides reporting some progress.
Tensions have been high since US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, reinstated a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Iran, echoing his strategy during his first term when he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord. In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks but warning of possible military action if Iran refused.
Tehran has made clear that the current discussions, which began on April 12, are to focus strictly on nuclear issues and the lifting of US sanctions. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated that the country’s military capabilities were not up for negotiation.
Iranian state media have underlined that Tehran’s missile programme and regional alliances — including support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen’s Huthi rebels, and Shiite militias in Iraq — are considered “red lines” that will not be compromised in talks.
Responding to Netanyahu’s comments, Araghchi said Israel’s expectation to control Iran’s sovereign decisions was “so detached from reality that it hardly merits a response,” and insisted that Iran remained capable of resisting any attempts to sabotage its foreign policy.
He added, “We can only hope our US counterparts are equally steadfast.”
Western governments, led by the US, have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons capabilities — a charge Tehran firmly denies, maintaining that its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes.
