Iran
Iran's army chief Amir Hatami speaks to military academy students in Tehran, Iran, on January 7, 2026. AP file photo
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s nuclear technology “cannot be eliminated,” the country’s top military commander warned on Saturday, responding to US President Donald Trump’s threat of military strikes if Tehran fails to reach a nuclear agreement with Washington.
“The nuclear science and technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be eliminated, even if the scientists and sons of this nation are martyred,” Iranian army chief Amir Hatami said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Hatami cautioned the United States and Israel against launching any attack, stating that Iran’s armed forces are on high alert.
“If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region, and the security of the Zionist regime,” Hatami said.
He added that Iran’s armed forces are at “full defensive and military readiness.”
Hatami’s remarks followed statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said Tehran’s missile and defense capabilities would never be open to negotiation.
“I want to state firmly that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities will never be subject to negotiation,” Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul after talks with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
In a post on X after concluding his visit to Istanbul, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position following meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Fidan.
“In our conversations, I reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and is ready to embrace a fair and equitable nuclear deal that meets the legitimate interests of our people,” Araghchi wrote. “This includes ensuring ‘no nuclear weapons’ and guaranteeing the lifting of sanctions.”
Araghchi also said Tehran currently has no plans to meet with US officials to resume negotiations.
US President Trump said on Friday that Iran was likely to pursue talks rather than face possible American military action, despite Tehran’s insistence that its missile program is non-negotiable.
“I can say this - they do want to make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that a US naval carrier group was moving toward waters near Iran. “Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.”
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