Amid attempts to broker peace in the war between the United States and Iran, Tehran has so far refused to give up its nuclear material, claiming to need it for the development of nuclear-powered submarines and ships.
Speaking to the Al Mayadeen television channel this week, Mohsen Rezaei — the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council — vowed that not a “single speck” of enriched uranium would leave Iran anytime soon.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing conducts flight operations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 28, 2023. The F-22 Raptor is a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, and is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances to defeat threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens)
F-22 Raptor Elephant Walk. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“We need the enriched material to design ships and submarines that work on nuclear energy,” he claimed. “We will use it ourselves.”
The U.S. and Israel have rejected claims that Iran’s nuclear program is for the development of submarines, ships, or for peaceful purposes, accusing the country of secretly working to develop nuclear weapons.
The United Nations is Becoming ‘Increasingly Concerned’ Over Iran’s Nuclear Intentions
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog declared on Friday that it had become “increasingly concerned” about a nuclear facility in Iran which it has been prohibited from inspecting.
During the interview, Rezaei also threatened to strike American bases on European soil.
“If American aircraft take off from an American military base, even one located in a European country or some other distant region, to bomb Iran, we will strike those bases as well,” he declared, adding that Iran might even opt to “strike certain islands that they assume are beyond the reach of our missiles.”
Rezaei celebrated the Republican Party’s catastrophic defeat in the midterm elections this month, boasting that Iran had “handed Trump a strategic defeat on the battlefield and in the Hormuz—and a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington.”
“Meanwhile, Americans got stuck with the bill for this war,” he taunted. “Anyone who takes on Iran will pay the price—from the battlefield to their own doorstep.”
Qatar Is Attempting to Broker Peace, But Trump Has Rejected All Proposals
As the conflict between the U.S. and Iran entered its 8th month this month, the state of Qatar reportedly attempted to broker a peace agreement between the two countries.
Under the Qatari plan, Iran would allow United Nations (UN) nuclear weapons inspectors to visit the country and make an assessment. Iran would also reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels within 48 hours.
The plan is unlikely to be accepted by President Donald Trump, however, as it would require the U.S. to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets — two demands which the Trump administration has repeatedly rejected, calling them “unacceptable.”
During the G7 meeting in Paris this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that negotiations with Iran “right now haven’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”
Trump Has Removed Vice President JD Vance From the Iran Talks For Seeking a Peace Deal With Tehran
While Vice President JD Vance had been pushing Trump to work with Iran toward a peace agreement, recognizing that the conflict had become increasingly unpopular among voters, the president removed Vance from the Iran talks and reassigned him to domestic issues on Thursday, posting on social media to reject any kind of deal with Tehran.
“I have asked Vice President Vance to focus his complete and total attention on the Massive Corruption and Crime taking place in Democrat run Cities and States throughout the U.S.,” announced Trump in a Truth Social post. “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Majority of Americans Want Iran War to End as Quickly as Possible
A recent poll conducted by YouGov and The Economist found that 60% of Americans believe Trump made the wrong decision to go to war against Iran. In comparison, 64% said the Trump administration should be working to “end the war as quickly as possible.”
Just 23% of Americans surveyed said Trump should continue the conflict until all U.S. objectives had been achieved.
In a post-mortem analysis of the Republican Party’s midterm defeat, Vance acknowledged that the unpopular war played a big part in the election results.
Trump also acknowledged the effect of the war, but told reporters he would do it all over again to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
About the Author: Charlie Nash
Charlie Nash is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Spectator, Mediaite, New Statesman, and the American Conservative, among other major publications. His reporting has been featured by The Washington Post, Fox News, the Daily Beast, MS NOW, NewsNation, Hannity, and more. You can follow Charlie on X at @CharlieNash and on LinkedIn.
