Iran’s shocking claim: US preparing for war, using talks as cover

Iran’s state media has claimed that the authorities had intelligence that the US was preparing for war against the Islamic Republic, and the diplomatic overtures were just a cover. The claim was aired in state-backed Press TV, quoting an unnamed senior official.

This comes as US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had expressed a desire to resume negotiations on its nuclear programme, but the US “was in no hurry to restart negotiations”.

According to the Press TV report, “intelligence indicated that the US seeks talks to prepare for war, not  peace”. The senior official added, “If so, we see no reason to waste time and would rather focus on preparing for conflict.” The official added that Iran believes the talks had the sole purpose of disarming Iran to make up for Israel’s weakness in the next war.

The official said any negotiation should be on “serious and practical guarantees” that they are not a cover for security deception.

The official demanded that Israel’s nuclear arsenal and compensation for the recent war be conditions to restart talks. “We must receive guarantees that Witkoff is a mediator for a solution, not a fire-starter for war. Providing such guarantees is very difficult, but we are ready to give (the US) one more chance and listen,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars News Agency has published a report citing that Israel’s “covert plans” against Iran were in motion. It alleged that Israel has asked its “affiliated networks and operatives” to shift focus to blame the Islamic Republic and the Supreme Leader for the Israel-Iran war. The directives have reached foreign-based media and “certain domestic elements” who work as amplifiers of Israel.

Israel’s move follows its failed plan to set up a government-in-exile led by Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah of Iran. The agency claimed Pahlavi was planning an event next month in a European capital, and secret invitations have been extended to a number of anti-Iran terrorist groups, particularly Kurdish separatist factions, to create a symbolic assembly.

The report claimed Israel’s strategy was to form a political alliance “between remnants of the 2009 riots, monarchists, terrorists, and separatist groups”.

Middle East