TEHRAN -- Senior Iranian officials on Thursday dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country’s nuclear program to continue.
“Media is speculating about an imminent Iran-U.S. deal. Not sure if we are there yet,” Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister, wrote in a post on the X.
“Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides. But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran’s nuclear rights—including enrichment,” he added.
Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on X that previous U.S. presidents also had “fantasies” destroying Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and warned that Iran has strong defenses and “clear red lines.”
“Talks serve progress, interests, and dignity, not coercion or surrender,” he said.
“Iran is independent, with strong defenses, resilient people, and clear red lines. Talks serve progress, interests, and dignity, not coercion or surrender,” Shamkhani added.
The comments came a day after President Donald Trump said he wanted a “very strong” nuclear deal with Iran, under which “we can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want”.
“What Trump says about a deal with Iran to dismantle nuclear facilities is a combination of ‘illusion,’ ‘bluff,’ ‘delirium,’ and ’confusion,’” Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said in a post on X.

The U.S. and Iran have held five rounds of talks in Oman and Rome over the past few weeks. Last Friday, the most recent round of talks, Omani mediator and Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said Iran and the United States made “ some but not conclusive progress ” and that more negotiations are needed.
Trump’s comments came as the head of the United Nations’ atomic energy agency said “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency were in Tehran this week, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in Oman this week for a state visit.
On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected a “false and baseless” report by Austria’s domestic intelligence agency about Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, demanding that Vienna explain its “irresponsible” accusations. 
The demand came after Austria’s Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) claimed that Iran is pursuing a “nuclear weapons development program”.
Baghaei said the report is solely produced to create “media hype” against the Islamic Republic and thus it “lacks any validity or credibility.”
He also urged the Austrian government to explain the “irresponsible, provocative, and destructive” behavior of the DSN, which is spreading lies about Iran.
He further highlighted Iran’s membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying the country’s nuclear program has been subject to the heaviest scrutiny by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Austrian report undermines the credibility of the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear agency, the spokesman said.
“Austria and some other European countries are deceitfully silent about the arming of the Zionist regime with all kinds of weapons of mass destruction and prevent the realization of a West Asia free from WMDs through their all-out support for the genocidal and occupying regime. “
However, Iran as a “staunch opponent of nuclear weapons and other WMDs, is a founder and steadfast supporter of the idea of freeing the region from weapons of mass destruction, Baghaei added.
 Later Friday, the foreign ministry summoned Austria’s chargé d’affaires to Tehran to protest the “irresponsible and provocative” claim. 
Michaela Pacher was summoned by head of the First Office of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s West Europe Department, Alireza Molaqadimi, who noted the report’s contradiction with numerous IAEA conclusions.
Molaqadimi said Iran’s nuclear program completely complies with the country’s legal and international commitments as per the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).