'Won't be bullied': Iran rejects US demands for nuclear talks
What's the story
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has decisively rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal for nuclear negotiations. Pezeshkian said Iran will not discuss its rogue nuclear program under duress. Responding to Trump, he said, "It is unacceptable for us that they [the US] give orders and make threats. I won't even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want."
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Supreme Leader supports President's stance
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, also said on Saturday that Tehran will not be coerced into discussions, a day after Trump said he had sent him a letter seeking a new nuclear deal with Iran. Iran claims it has not received any letter, but issued a flurry of statements about it. Trump has reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign he used in his first term to cut Iran off from the world economy and make its oil exports almost zero.
Military drills
Iran conducts joint naval exercises with China, Russia
Iran recently showcased military strength by holding joint naval drills with China and Russia. The Maritime Security Belt 2025 drills were held in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global oil trade. One-fifth of all crude oil traded worldwide passes through it. The Bahrain-based US Navy's 5th Fleet usually patrols these waters.
Nuclear concerns
Iran's nuclear program under scrutiny
The 2015 deal brokered by former US President Barack Obama offered sanctions relief for Iran limiting its nuclear program. But after Trump exited the deal, Tehran started rolling back its commitments and ramping up its uranium enrichment. Both Israel and the US have vowed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. This has raised fears of a military confrontation as Tehran rapidly enriches uranium.