Iran shows off missile power amid renewed nuclear deal talks with US
President Pezeshkian addresses 'Army Day' parade in Tehran (Photo: Getty Images)
Iran showcased its military arsenal on Army Day while simultaneously engaging in sensitive diplomatic talks on its nuclear program, reports NBC News
Thousands of Iranian troops marched through Tehran on Army Day, accompanied by tanks, drones, and advanced missile systems, including the S-300 air defense system.
The event, observed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, was a powerful display of Iran’s military capabilities aimed at both domestic and international audiences.
While the streets echoed with chants and patriotic speeches, Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi was in Moscow meeting with President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"Our Russian friends gave us the necessary information," Araghchi told TASS after the meeting.
He is expected to head next to Rome to resume talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff regarding Iran’s nuclear program, which has accelerated rapidly in recent years.
These discussions follow an earlier meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff in Oman — the first direct talks since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Despite both sides calling the exchange "positive and constructive," Iran later voiced frustration.
"The reality is, we are receiving contradictory and inconsistent messages from the United States," Araghchi told Mehr News.
Nuclear tensions and mixed signals from Washington
The main point of contention remains uranium enrichment.
Witkoff initially suggested a cap at 3.6%, consistent with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which once granted Iran sanctions relief in return for nuclear restrictions.
However, he later clarified that full dismantling of the program was the actual goal.
Iran had complied with JCPOA until Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.
In response, Tehran boosted enrichment levels to 60%, dangerously close to weapons-grade. Yet, Trump now signals a different approach.
"I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death — and I’d like to see that," he told reporters, hinting at a renewed push for a deal rather than military confrontation.
Still, caution dominates Iran’s response. At Friday prayers in Tehran, clerics urged careful engagement, even as chants of "death to America" echoed.
"The US cannot be trusted," the Imam warned, while signaling openness to negotiations. Meanwhile, the Pentagon deployed a second aircraft carrier to the region and hinted at possible strikes should diplomacy fail.
The stakes are rising fast as nuclear talks approach a critical juncture, and the threat of escalation looms.
Just days earlier, the US military launched strikes on the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen, aiming to cut off funding for the Iran-backed militants.
Washington accused the Houthis of fueling terror with smuggled oil profits and warned such operations will continue until the Red Sea attacks cease.
