“We are not the initiator of war; we will respond to any threat with all our might,” chief of staff of Iran's armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Bagheri added that US President Donald Trump “received a suitable response” to the letter he sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “taking into account his measures and orders.”
Trump is pressuring Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear deal. He made an overture in a letter to Khamenei last month, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations, but also threatened military action if Iran refuses to cooperate.
“We seek peace in the region; we are not seeking nuclear weapons in the nuclear issue, and we pursue the needs of our nation in nuclear; we will not negotiate directly, but indirect negotiations are not objectionable,” Bagheri added.
He also highlighted Khamenei’s letter to Trump, quoting it as saying, “You were the most slanderous and reneging party in the past negotiations, and therefore there is no trust in you.”
On Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed Tehran’s willingness to pursue nuclear talks with the United States in exchange for the lifting of what he called oppressive sanctions against his country.
“Iran's response to the US president's letter was tailored to the content and tone of his letter, while at the same time preserving the opportunity to use diplomacy,” Araghchi said.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions. The deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew the US from the accord and reimposed biting sanctions on Iran.
Tehran waited a year and then gradually ramped up its nuclear activities.
After returning to office, Trump in early February restored his maximum pressure policy on Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon.