Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon its nuclear programme, Iran has “vowed” to protect its nuclear stockpile. At the same time, former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei disapproved of the use of nuclear weapons on religious grounds. How does Iran reconcile the two positions?

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — NPT for short — discourages countries from developing nuclear weapons, but does not prevent them from developing the ability to make these weapons. This is ostensibly because some of the same technologies and processes are necessary in a civilian nuclear programme, like to generate nuclear power and to make nuclear isotopes for medical use. But the NPT does not turn a blind eye altogether: it expects the civilian programme to include some safeguards that resist the ability to develop from becoming the possession of a nuclear weapon. Examples of such safeguards include closely monitoring the use of technologies like uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (May 2, 2026) he was going to review a new Iranian peace proposal but cast doubt over its prospects, as a senior military officer in Tehran indicated renewed fighting was “likely.”

The dour outlook came after Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies said Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan. Details included ending the conflict on all fronts and enacting a new framework for the crucial Strait of Hormuz, Tasnim said.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) that the U.S. warship deployed in the Gulf could be sunk, as nuclear talks between the two countries started.

“We constantly hear that they (the U.S) have sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” said Mr. Khamenei in a speech.

The U.S. and Iran are holding their second round of talks about Iran’s nuclear programme in Geneva as the U.S. ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

Iran began the meeting in Geneva with Omani mediators regarding its nuclear programme.

Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday (February 17) that the negotiations with the U.S. will be indirect and will focus only on Iran’s nuclear programme, not domestic policies including its bloody crackdown on protesters last month.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear programme. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Mr. Trump has also threatened Iran over its deadly crackdown on recent nationwide protests.

The first round of talks February 6 were held in Oman and were indirect. The arrangements for Tuesday’s round of negotiations were not clear.

Mr. Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were travelling for the new round of talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Budapest, Hungary, said on Monday (February 16) that the U.S. hopes to achieve a deal with Iran, despite the difficulties.

“I’m not going to prejudge these talks,” Mr. Rubio said. “The President always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the talks for Iran, met with the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency Monday in Geneva.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Mr. Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Talking to reporters on Monday night aboard Air Force One on his way to Washington, Mr. Trump said of the U.S.-Iran talks, “I’ll be involved in those talks – indirectly – and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia said on Thursday (January 29, 2026) that there ​was still room for negotiation ‌between Iran and the ​United States and warned that any use of force against Tehran would have dangerous consequences and cause chaos throughout West Asia.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was ​commenting a day after U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump urged Iran to come to the table and make a deal ​on nuclear ⁠weapons or face a possible U.S. attack.

“We continue to call on all parties to ‌exercise restraint and to renounce ‌any use of force to resolve issues. Clearly, the potential ‍for negotiations is far from exhausted… We must focus primarily ‍on negotiating mechanisms,” Mr. Peskov told reporters.

“Any forceful actions can only create chaos in the region and lead to very dangerous consequences in terms of destabilising the security system throughout the region.”

Russia has ⁠forged closer ties with Iran since the start ​of its war in Ukraine and ⁠signed a 20-year strategic partnership treaty with the Islamic Republic in January 2025.