Iran's hardliners warn US talks must focus only on nuclear program

Iran’s conservative factions are concerned upcoming talks with the United States could extend beyond the nuclear file and may involve additional demands such as disarming Tehran’s regional allies that remain deeply contentious.

Hardline publication Khorasan cautioned that Iranian negotiators must guard against what it called mission creep, particularly in the face of US efforts to shift the agenda toward direct talks.

Iran insists the Oman discussions will focus solely on its nuclear program and officials in Tehran have ruled out negotiations on regional issues or its ballistic missile capabilities.

However, US officials may press for a broader agenda. An executive order US President Donald Trump signed in February called for curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied groups across the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen.

The group, designated a terrorist organization by countries such as the US and UK, is currently engaged in a tit-for-tat battle with the US amid its blockade of shipping in the Red Sea region.

Khorsan also warned that the talks should not overtake national priorities, including the country's economic crisis, the worst since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Iran has been demanding the quick lifting of US sanctions that have devastated the economy.

The publication wrote that "diplomacy is not a solution to the country’s core problems".

On the eve of talks this week, President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking on National Nuclear Technology Day, reiterated Iran’s rejection of nuclear weapons.

“They [UN inspectors] have checked us a hundred times. Check again. We are not after the bomb,” he said. “We need nuclear science. They want us weak, but we will stand tall through knowledge.”

US President Donald Trump has warned of bombing Iran if Tehran fails to reach a new deal over its nuclear program, giving a two month deadline, without stating when that ends.