Iran: No military solution to nuclear issue, warns of retaliation

Iran said Monday that there is no military solution to the country's nuclear issue, warning that any strike against Tehran will be immediately reciprocated.

In a tweet, Foreign Minister and lead nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi said Iran is "strong and confident enough" in its capabilities to thwart any attempt "by malicious external actors to sabotage its foreign policy or dictate its course," in a reference to Israel.

"We can only hope our US counterparts are equally steadfast," he added.

His comments came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday for dismantling Iran's entire nuclear infrastructure. He said that he had told Trump that any nuclear agreement reached with Iran should also prevent Tehran from developing ballistic missiles.

Iran and the US held a third round of nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman on Saturday, with both sides acknowledging substantial progress in the initial phase.

The talks, primarily focused on Iran's nuclear program, have gradually moved from general discussions to more technical details, as Araghchi said after the end of Saturday's third round in the Omani capital.

Both sides are seeking an alternative to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, which was reached under the Barack Obama administration in 2015.

Araghchi said many Iranians "no longer believe the JCPOA is sufficient" and seek "tangible dividends."

"Israel's fantasy that it can dictate what Iran may or may not do is so detached from reality that it hardly merits a response," he said.

"What is striking, however, is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran," he added.

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that Netanyahu's "allies" in the "failed Biden team" are "falsely casting our indirect negotiations with the Trump administration as another JCPOA," noting that JCPOA is not enough now.