Iranian Parliament Blocks U.S. Nuclear Talks Until Preconditions Met

Iran’s parliament issued a joint statement on 16 July saying the government must halt any new nuclear negotiations with the United States until unspecified “preconditions” are satisfied. The declaration, read aloud in an open session by lawmaker Ahmad Naderi and carried by state news agency ISNA, accused Washington of using diplomacy to mask military pressure and cited last month’s U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. While the statement did not enumerate the conditions, Iranian officials have previously demanded guarantees against further attacks and respect for the country’s right to enrich uranium. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reiterated last week that Tehran would not discuss curbs on enrichment or its missile programme without such assurances. The parliamentary warning comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “in no rush” to restart talks, noting that recent strikes had “obliterated” Iranian sites. The United States, France, Britain and Germany have meanwhile set an end-August deadline before seeking the reimposition of UN sanctions through the 2015 nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism.