Iran says U.S. ‘maximum pressure’ will fail as it did in Trump first term

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday (February 5, 2025) that U.S. President Donald Trump’s reimposition of a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran will end in “failure” as it did during his first term.

“I believe that maximum pressure is a failed experiment and trying it again will turn into another failure,” Mr. Araghchi told reporters following a cabinet meeting, adding that Tehran was not pursuing nuclear weapons.

During his first term that ended in 2021, Mr. Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, and reimposing biting sanctions.

The deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Tehran adhered to the deal until a year after Washington pulled out, but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the 2015 deal have since faltered.

On Tuesday (February 4, 2025), Mr. Trump signed an order reinstating the “maximum pressure” policy against Iran over allegations that the country is seeking a nuclear weapons capability.

Iran denies any such ambition, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.

“If the main issue is that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, it is achievable and is not much of a problem,” Mr. Araghchi said.

A longstanding religious decree, or fatwa, issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, prohibits Iran from possessing a nuclear arsenal.

On Wednesday (February 5, 2025), Iran’s nuclear agency chief Mohammad Eslami insisted that his country remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, saying “Iran does not have, and will not have a nuclear weapons programme”.

In January, before Mr. Trump returned to the White House, Iranian officials held nuclear talks with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany.

Both sides described the talks as “frank and constructive”.

Earlier this month, Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi said a new round of talks was expected to be held “within a month” but the “date has not been confirmed yet.”