Fmr. Iranian Diplomat: Islamic Regime Using Negotiations to ‘Take What Is Ours’ While Calling for America’s Demise

Iran is using nuclear negotiations with the United States as a strategic tool to advance its own interests while simultaneously affirming open hostility toward America and Israel, according to former Iranian diplomat Amir Mousavi, who insists that chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” will continue.

In an interview on Al-Rabiaa TV last week, Mousavi — a close associate of Iran’s hardline regime and former cultural attaché in Algeria — made a series of explosive remarks reflecting the Islamic Republic’s entrenched animus toward the West. 

The broadcast, translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), sheds light on Tehran’s enduring posture even amid renewed nuclear talks with Washington.

“Iran is negotiating with the U.S. only to regain what is rightfully ours,” Mousavi said, brushing aside the idea that diplomacy with the United States might lead to compromise. When asked about Iran’s enduring hostility toward Israel, he was unequivocal: “It must be erased.”

Despite sitting at the negotiating table with the United States, Mousavi insisted the negotiations would change “nothing” regarding Iran’s core positions, while openly admitting Iran has no intention of altering its adversarial stance toward the West. 

When challenged on how Iran could reconcile diplomatic talks with anti-American slogans, his response was blunt:

“As long as the arrogant policies continue, ‘Death to America’ it is,” he stated.

He also described how Iran’s regional proxies, including Palestinian terrorists, have achieved self-sufficiency thanks to groundwork laid by slain IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani — the Iranian commander and terrorist mastermind responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans.

Mousavi then defended Iran’s controversial uranium enrichment program, claiming the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allows enrichment up to 90% — a threshold widely recognized as weapons-grade. His assertion contradicts international consensus, which views such enrichment levels as a direct pathway to nuclear armament.

The interview highlights Tehran’s enduring strategic posture — engaging in diplomacy as a tool to advance its unchanged ideological goals and reclaim what it considers its rights, underscoring a persistent challenge for American negotiators and regional allies alike.

The matter comes as U.S.-Iran negotiations continue through diplomatic channels, with Washington seeking to curb Tehran’s nuclear advancements.

Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, financing and arming proxy groups to fuel regional aggression and global instability. At home, under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic has committed widespread human rights abuses, including the execution of over 1,000 prisoners in 2024.

Many Iranians have expressed discontent with their regime and support for President Trump’s hardline stance, with dissidents feeling emboldened by his policies, hoping they might lead to governmental change.

Previously, a video clip threatening the assassination of President Trump as revenge for the killing of Soleimani appeared on the website of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Meanwhile, Iranian assassination plots have been uncovered in various parts of the world, including attempted hits on United States officials and Iranian dissidents on American soil.

In recent months, Iran has intensified threats against American military forces, amplified calls to assassinate President Trump in state-linked media, and allegedly continued a pattern of mass executions and global plots targeting U.S. officials and dissidents.

President Trump has previously acknowledged feeling “torn” over a new sanctions directive, indicating he is open to negotiating with the Islamic Republic. He has also said Iran was “too close” to developing a nuclear weapon, and it would not have been so close if he had continued in the presidency after 2020.

The President’s message — that Iran’s path back to the international community will close if the regime continues to pursue nuclear weapons — reflects a policy of peace through strength and a consistent stance against nuclear proliferation by hostile or terror-linked regimes.

Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.