Web Desk(National Times)- IRAN’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday hailed the country’s “courageous resistance” as having strengthened Tehran and making it better prepared to confront the United Stated, as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the stockpile of enriched uranium was “not under negotiation”.
In a statement marking National Persian Language Preservation Day, the supreme leader said Iran “has demonstrated during the recent sacred defence [against the US-Zionist invasion] that Ferdowsi’s legendary tales are a reality of their lives and a reflection of their heroic character,” Al Jazeera reported.
Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Valiant, Quranic concepts” in the epic poem Shahnameh by poet Ferdowsi “unite all Iranian ethnicities and social strata in preserving their identity, independence and in the battle against the ‘Zahhak-like’ aggressors”.
At the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was currently not part of negotiations with the US, because discussions had reached an impasse on the issue.
“The subject of our enriched material is a very complicated one. And we have now come to the conclusion with Americans that since it is very difficult, we are almost in a deadlock on this particular question, let’s postpone it to the later stages of our negotiations,” the foreign minister said at a press conference. “So, for the time being, it is not under discussion, it’s not under negotiation, but we will come to that subject in later stages.”
He said he had “received messages” from the US, claiming it was willing to continue talks. “We received messages again from the Americans saying that they are willing to continue the talks and continue the interaction,” he said.
Regional cooperation
Also, Iran sought to bolster ties with the neighbouring countries.
While congratulating Iraq’s new prime minister Ali al-Zaidi, a day after he was sworn in, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, “I hope that in this new phase, and drawing on the deep ties between our two peoples, we will witness a new chapter of strategic cooperation.”
He said that Iran would “remain by Iraq’s side on the path of development and the consolidation of security”.
Repatriation of 31 Pakistanis, Iranians
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government announced 11 of its citizens along with 20 Iranian nationals, who were aboard vessels seized by the US forces, were being repatriated.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said the individuals were repatriated through Singapore with international cooperation. “All individuals are in good health and high spirits,” DPM Dar said in a post on X. “The welfare and well-being of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains our governments highest priority.”
He said the group travelled from Singapore to Bangkok and was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad later on Friday, after which the Iranian nationals would be helped to return home.
He thanked officials from Singapore, the US and Thailand for their assistance, including Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Iranian FM Araghchi “for reposing trust in Pakistan for the repatriation of our Iranian brethren.”
He also extended gratitude to the US government and Secretary Marco Rubio for “close coordination in facilitating their smooth return”.
Non-aggression pact
Separately, Saudi Arabia is floating the idea of a non-aggression pact between Middle Eastern nations and Iran to manage regional stability following the conclusion of the US-Israel war with Tehran, the Financial Times reported, citing diplomatic sources.
Riyadh is looking to the 1970s Helsinki Process — an agreement that reduced Cold War tensions in Europe — as a blueprint.
Two Western diplomats told the newspaper the proposal is among several ideas being weighed to handle a post-war Iran.
European capitals and European Union institutions are backing the Saudi proposal and encouraging other Gulf nations to join, viewing it as the mechanism to prevent future clashes and offer Tehran security guarantees, diplomats said.
However, they question whether the UAE would participate in any non-aggression arrangement with Iran, as Abu Dhabi moves to align more closely with Israel in the wake of Iranian strikes on Gulf infrastructure.
An Arab diplomat believed the pact would be widely welcomed, including by Iran, which wants to show Western powers that the region can manage its own affairs. But the diplomat also noted that exclusion of Israel could “backfire”, despite the fact that getting Israel and Iran into the same agreement currently seemed impossible.
