Iran criticizes Trump’s state of the union as ‘a lie,’ but returns to the negotiating table with the US.
Iran’s negotiating team has left Tehran for the third round of nuclear talks with the US, state media reported on Wednesday, as some Iranian officials criticized US President Donald Trump’s remarks during his state of the union address.
The Iranian delegation to Geneva is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with them on Thursday.
The United States has deployed a large military force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic. Trump on February 19 said he was giving Tehran about 10 to 15 days to make a deal.
Responding to Trump’s comments, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wanted to compare him to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister. He accused Trump and his administration of waging a “campaign of lies and disinformation” against Iran.
“Whatever they say regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s missiles, and the number of people injured during the January riots is just a repetition of ‘big lies,'” Baghaei wrote in X.
It accuses Iran of restarting its nuclear program
Trump outlined his case for attacking Iran in his state of the nation address to Congress on Tuesday, but many questions remain.
Trump has done little to explain to the American public why he might lead the US in its most aggressive step against the Islamic Republic since its insurgency in 1979, and Democrats on Capitol Hill and some Republicans oppose any action that should be taken without Congressional approval.
Anti-government protests continued for a third day at universities across Iran as the country faced pressure from the US to give up most of its nuclear program.
The main reason for the possible military action remains unclear. In his speech, Trump identified Tehran’s support for militant groups in the Middle East, its killing of protesters and the country’s missile and nuclear programs as threats to the region and the United States.
“The regime and its murderous proxies are spreading nothing but terror and death and hatred,” the Republican president said about 90 minutes into his annual address.
He accused Iran of restarting its nuclear program – after saying its nuclear capabilities had been “destroyed” last summer in a series of US strikes in support of its ally Israel.
Trump said on Tuesday that Iran was working to develop missiles that would “soon” be able to reach the United States and was responsible for roadside bombs that killed US service members and civilians.
Iranian state media say Tehran is developing a missile capable of reaching North America.
Respect Iran’s ‘dignity’, urges parliament speaker
Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the failure of negotiations to reach an agreement. “They want to make a deal, but we’ve never heard those secret words: ‘We’ll never have a nuclear weapon,'” Trump said in his speech.
Iran says its nuclear research is for civilian energy production.
Trump has also blamed the Tehran government for the deaths of thousands of protesters during recent anti-government protests, although the specific number he cited — that 32,000 people were killed — is much higher than most public estimates.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, separately said the US could try diplomacy or face Iran’s wrath.
“If you choose a diplomatic table – diplomacy where the dignity of the Iranian nation and common interests are respected – we will also be at that table,” said Qalibaf, according to the Semiofficial Student News Network, a media outlet believed to be close to all the volunteers of the Basij Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
In the meantime24:19Canadians are desperate for information about friends and family in Iran
It has been a month since Iran was rocked by what is being called the most dangerous incident in the country’s modern history. On the 8th and 9th of January, the security forces brutally attacked the protesters who took to the streets to demand regime change. It is not yet clear how many people were killed. The shutdown of communications made it difficult for people living outside the country to find out what happened. CBC’s Liz Hoath brings us this story about Canadians learning a little bit about what happened to friends and family back in Iran.
Public comments made by the US negotiator about Trump’s attitude since the last round of talks led to a response from his Iranian counterpart.
“I don’t want to use the word frustration, because [Trump] you understand you have a lot of other options, but you want to know why they didn’t … I don’t want to use the word capitulated, but why didn’t they capitulate,” Witkoff told Fox News in an interview that aired on February 21.
Araghchi responded on social media: “I want to know why we are not selective? Because we are Iranians.”
The White House must apologize for its crime: Schumer
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a briefing on Iran just hours before Congress’ “Gang of Eight” speech – made up of leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives and the two chambers’ intelligence committees.
“First and foremost, if they want to do something in Iran – and the hell we know what it is – they should make it public and discuss it with the public and not keep it secret. If you do these military operations in secret, it always causes long wars, disasters, more costs and lower costs. [mistakes],” said Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, shortly before the briefing.
As US President Donald Trump’s Mideast ‘armada’ approaches Iran, CBC News has tracked the location and movement of naval vessels and military aircraft in the region.
Trump said he prefers to make peace, citing a number of international conflicts that he takes credit for ending, or easing.
Trump and other Republicans rose to the top of US politics with the fervent support of a political base that embraced his “America First” policies and vowed to end the era of “eternal wars” such as the protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump’s second administration has been more aggressive militarily than the first, launching airstrikes in several countries to pursue policy goals. In addition to the July strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, there have also been missiles or drones launched in Venezuela, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen.
But some military analysts say that limited strikes on a country of Iran’s size and military might would not permanently halt Tehran’s nuclear program, and could strengthen Iranian nationalism.
