TEHRAN – Iran has reaffirmed that its missile and defense capabilities are not subject to negotiation, even as it continues diplomatic engagement with Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) amid heightened tensions over sanctions and nuclear safeguards.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking at his weekly press briefing on Monday, stressed that Iran’s defensive program is an untouchable principle that cannot be compromised under any circumstances. “This is an indisputable and unassailable principle,” he said. “The Iranian nation will not allow any dialogue over the means necessary to defend its sovereignty, dignity, independence, and security.”

Baghaei emphasized that while Iran remains open to diplomacy and continues to engage with international bodies, its defensive and missile programs are off-limits. He underlined that no external power has the authority to dictate conditions that compromise Iran’s right to safeguard its own sovereignty.

“The defense of Iran’s sovereignty, dignity, independence, and security is not up for negotiation,” he said firmly.

The remarks come at a time when the European trio of Britain, France, and Germany have moved to trigger the UN’s snapback mechanism, threatening the reimposition of international sanctions on Tehran that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

‘Talks with Kallas in Doha was productive’

Baghaei also addressed last week’s meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the Qatari capital of Doha. He described the talks as “productive,” saying that “a range of points and ideas” were exchanged.

He voiced hope that the meeting could serve as a basis for a shift in European policy. “We expect that in future contacts, the Europeans will reconsider their methods by correctly understanding the consequences of their confrontational approach,” he said.

In August, Britain, France, and Germany invoked the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, opening a 30-day window before the possible restoration of sanctions. Baghaei emphasized that Iran is using every diplomatic opportunity to defend its national interests, make its demands clear, and warn against the consequences of abusing this mechanism.

The spokesman also responded to Kallas’s recent comments that closer alignment between Iran, Russia, and China posed a threat to the so-called rules-based international order. Baghaei questioned what “rules” she was referring to, pointing instead to the repeated violations of sovereignty carried out by the United States and Israel. “Can such rules be used to justify the illegal US-Israeli attacks on the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of other nations?” he asked.

He dismissed such claims as hostile rhetoric that has no place in international dialogue. “These accusations are merely a continuation of an aggressive approach toward independent countries that are pursuing progress and development in line with their national interests,” he said.

 ‘IAEA engagement still under review’

Turning to the nuclear file, Baghaei said Tehran has not yet determined the timing for its next round of negotiations with the IAEA. A third round of discussions ended on Saturday, and the results are currently under review by the relevant authorities in Tehran. “We are waiting for the final conclusion to be made, and based on that, we will announce what the next stage will be,” he said.

Iran has also reviewed the IAEA’s latest report and plans to convey its official response to the agency and its Board of Governors in the form of a memorandum. Baghaei emphasized that the situation facing Iran is unprecedented, with nuclear facilities under international inspection coming under direct military attack.

On June 13, Israel launched what Tehran described as an unprovoked act of aggression, striking Iranian territory in a series of attacks that killed more than 1,000 people, including senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. The United States soon joined the conflict, bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities in what Baghaei denounced as a blatant violation of international law.

Iran responded with large-scale retaliatory operations against both the United States and Israel, which officials in Tehran say forced an end to the 12-day conflict. “It is unprecedented for a country’s nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision to be attacked,” Baghaei said. “The agency has come to understand that it must take Iran’s views into account when determining how to proceed in such circumstances.”

‘UK allegations of Iran-linked threats are baseless’

The spokesman also pushed back against new accusations from London, after the British government claimed last week that it was determined to counter alleged Iranian threats on UK soil, including cyberattacks and the use of criminal networks to carry out operations.

Baghaei dismissed the claims as “baseless” and part of a broader pattern of British policy that has long mirrored that of the United States in pressuring Iran. “This is not new,” he said. “It is a continuation of a traditional policy that is well known to us and to the Iranian public, which is fully aware of the history of British interventionist actions.”

He said such allegations serve only to reinforce the perception that London remains committed to confrontation rather than constructive engagement.