Iran’s Ambassador to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali, said Tehran remains engaged in talks with the United States in Oman on the nuclear issue, while firmly rejecting suggestions of a broader negotiation framework and warning against what he described as external interference in Iran’s internal unrest.
Speaking to NDTV’s Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul, the ambassador stressed that Iran’s position in the ongoing backchannel talks is clear and limited. “We focus only on nuclear weapons, and we should then see the conclusion of these negotiations,” he said, adding that Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table. “Up to now, we don’t leave at all the negotiation tables, but unfortunately they are [the ones] to leave,” he remarked, in an apparent reference to the US side.
The comments come amid heightened speculation over whether the Oman talks could lead to a diplomatic breakthrough or, conversely, a dangerous escalation in the Gulf. Fathali indicated that Tehran remains committed to dialogue, but only within narrowly defined parameters. There was no indication, he said, that Iran is prepared to widen the talks to include non-nuclear issues at this stage.
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On the sensitive issue of protests that have rocked Iran and generated widespread international scrutiny, the ambassador struck a defiant tone. He alleged that foreign intelligence agencies played a role in stoking unrest, echoing long-standing claims by Iranian authorities. “We have so many evidence,” he said, pointing to what he described as official statements from the US and Israel acknowledging the presence of their agents among protesters. “They know Iran very well, and unfortunately you have seen what happened,” he added.
Fathali claimed that Iranian investigations had led to arrests, including alleged agents linked to Israel’s Mossad, and suggested that elements backed by the Central Intelligence Agency were also involved. While he did not provide specific casualty figures, he maintained that the Iranian state had responded after completing its enquiries, insisting that the narrative circulating on social media did not reflect what he called the “ground reality”.
Turning to India-Iran relations, the ambassador addressed reports suggesting that New Delhi might scale back or exit its involvement in the strategically vital Chabahar Port project. Fathali said Tehran has received no official communication to that effect. “We have a good relation with India,” he underlined, adding that Indian officials themselves have described the port as strategic. “I think we should ask around the Indian side,” he said, while expressing hope that cooperation would continue.
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In a significant confirmation, the ambassador also said Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian would visit India for the BRICS Summit, seeing it as an opportunity to deepen bilateral ties. “Inshallah, [the President] will be visiting India,” Fathali said. He noted that India’s leadership role in BRICS could be leveraged to “boost our bilateral relations”, calling the grouping “a very good framework” for closer engagement.
The interview underscores Tehran’s attempt to balance cautious diplomacy with Washington, a hard line on domestic dissent, and a clear signal that it values its partnership with New Delhi. As regional tensions persist and global alignments shift, Iran appears keen to project steadiness abroad-even as it pushes back forcefully against criticism at home.