Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that his country is holding nuclear consultations with Russia, China and Europe to enhance confidence and lift sanctions.

Sputnik quoted Araghchi as saying in a tweet on the "X" program today, Monday: "The Iranian nuclear program was and will remain completely peaceful, and we deny any possibility of militarizing the Iranian nuclear program."

He stressed that Tehran will not negotiate under pressure or threat, noting that consultations with the European Troika, Russia and China are being held on the basis of mutual respect, with the aim of enhancing confidence and transparency in exchange for lifting sanctions.

Araghchi stressed that "Iran dealt with the United States according to its positions. Whenever it adopted a respectful approach, it was met in kind, and whenever it resorted to threats, it faced an appropriate reaction."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed yesterday, Sunday, that "Iran considers any tension, disturbance or conflict to be harmful to it, the region and the world."

Pezeshkian said, during a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, that "Iran has never sought to manufacture nuclear weapons, based on the fatwa of the Leader of the Revolution." He stressed that "the Zionist entity is the main factor of tension and crises in the region," according to the Iranian "Tasnim" agency.

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations stated that "Tehran will not discuss dismantling its nuclear program."

The Iranian mission explained that "Tehran may consider holding talks on concerns about using its nuclear program militarily." It stressed that "if the goal of the negotiations is to remove concerns about the militarization of the Iranian nuclear program, then this can be discussed."

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was seeking to reach an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, but warned that "time for negotiations is running out," as he put it. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran. In February, he relaunched a "maximum pressure" policy in an attempt to completely halt Iranian oil exports.