Iran Keeps Talking to Mediators, But Says It Won't Sign a Bad Deal

Iran is not walking away from the negotiating table. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told a Monday press conference that Tehran remains in touch with Pakistan, Qatar and every mediator involved in its talks with the United States, and he thanked those nations for their constructive efforts.

The goodwill comes with a catch. Baghaei said Iran will only sign and implement a deal that fully protects what he described as the national interests and legal rights of the Iranian people.

He also swatted down Washington's planned Task Force Iron Gate, a US operation aimed at cutting off Iran's ground and Caspian weapon routes. Baghaei called it a diversion from the US midterm election results, where President Donald Trump's Republican Party lost ground.

On the nuclear file, Baghaei confirmed that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors visited the Bushehr nuclear power plant several days ago, and said Iran's mission in Vienna keeps professional and permanent ties with the agency. Still, he slammed the IAEA for what he called inappropriate positions since the start of the US military operation against Iran, saying Tehran cannot cooperate with it as under normal circumstances.

Meanwhile, a local government official said recent US airstrikes on Qeshm Island in southern Iran hit nothing of value, landing away from residential and commercial areas and leaving vital infrastructure and public services untouched. The strikes on the island's defense sites came as tensions near the Strait of Hormuz threatened to spiral into another full-blown conflict.

Elsewhere in the region, the United Arab Emirates condemned what it called a Houthi attempt to target several areas in Saudi Arabia on Monday, calling it a flagrant violation of the kingdom's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability. Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its full solidarity with Riyadh. The statement followed a text warning sent to Riyadh residents about a hostile aerial threat, urging them to stay indoors and follow Civil Defense instructions.