In response to US President Donald Trump’s inquiries about the reasons for Iran not “caving in” despite significant US military buildups in the Middle East, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted a brief tweet on Sunday.
Araqchi wrote in his tweet: “Are you curious to know why we do not surrender?… Because we are Iranians,” and added: “We will not surrender because we are Iranians.”
This position from the high-ranking Iranian official came after statements made by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, in which he explained that Trump had expressed his surprise that Iran had not subjugated or restricted its nuclear program so far, given the size of the US military presence in the region.
In the context of an interview on the program “My View with Lara Trump” on Fox News, Witkoff stated that Trump does not want to describe his feeling as “frustration,” but he nevertheless wonders why the Iranians have not taken the initiative to confirm that they are not seeking to possess a nuclear weapon and what they can offer in this regard, considering that getting them to this point is “somewhat difficult.”
It is noteworthy that Trump has issued orders to strengthen the American military presence in the Middle East region on a large scale, and to prepare for the possibility of launching an air strike on Iran that may continue for several weeks, while Tehran threatened to respond by bombing American bases in the region in the event of any aggression.
The United States demands that Iran abandon uranium enrichment, stop supporting armed militias in the region, and agree to impose restrictions on its missile program, while Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful in nature, and that it is prepared to accept some restrictions in exchange for lifting sanctions, while emphasizing its refusal to link the nuclear issue to other issues.
