Kathmandu. Tehran’s top diplomat said on Sunday that Tehran’s power comes from its “ability to say no to great powers”. The comments come amid ongoing dialogue with the United States over its nuclear programme and a backdrop of protests at home.

Speaking to diplomats on the sidelines of a summit in Tehran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that Iran must be able to enrich uranium. The same issue was at the center of the 12-day Iran-Israel war and the intense dispute with US President Donald Trump.

Iran’s President Massoud Pezeskian on Friday said talks with the US side in Oman were “one step forward”, but Araghci’s comments indicated that the talks ahead would not be easy. Meanwhile, the United States has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, warships and fighter jets to the Middle East, which the Trump administration has seen as a means of pressure.

Araghchi said the Islamic Republic’s strength lies in its ability to stand up to bullying, domination and external pressure. Using the word “nuclear bomb” figuratively, he said Iran was not going to build a bomb but that the fear was caused by its ability to reject the powers.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful. But according to Western countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran had an organized military program to develop bombs until 2003. Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent, which is slightly below the weapons level.

Pejeskian said on social media that the talks were “progress made through the mediation of regional allies” and that dialogue was Iran’s strategy for a peaceful solution. But he made it clear that the Iranian nation would not accept the language of force.

It is unclear when or where the second round of talks will take place. The presence of Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, in Oman during the talks, is seen as a sign of US military pressure.

Araghchi also recalled his experience of US attacks during past negotiations, warning that if a step backs down from the talks would lead to uncertainty about where the situation would stand.