DUBAI: Iran may consider expulsion of inspectors and suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog if external threats continue, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump again warned of military force if Tehran does not agree to a nuclear deal.

Iranian and American diplomats will visit Oman on Saturday to start dialogue on Tehran’s nuclear programme, with Trump saying he would have the final word on whether talks are reaching a breakdown, which would put Iran in “great danger”.

“Continued external threats and putting Iran under the conditions of a military attack could lead to deterrent measures like the expulsion of IAEA inspectors and ceasing cooperation with it,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published on X, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Transferring enriched material to safe and undisclosed locations in Iran could also be on the agenda,” he wrote.

While the US insists that the talks with Tehran will be direct, Iran has stressed the negotiations will be indirect with intermediation from Oman’s foreign minister.

During his first 2017-2021 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers designed to curb Tehran’s “sensitive nuclear work” in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.

Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal’s limits on uranium enrichment, according to the IAEA.

Tehran says its nuclear programme is wholly for civilian energy purposes.

US relocates six B-2 bombers

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday it was up to Iran to decide whether the recent US movement of B-2 bombers was a message to Tehran, as he voiced hope that US-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme could be resolved peacefully.

As many as six B-2 bombers relocated last month to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, amid a US bombing campaign in Yemen and mounting tensions with Iran.

There are only 20 B-2 bombers in the US air force’s inventory so they are usually used sparingly.

Experts say that puts the B-2s, which have stealth technology and are equipped to carry the heaviest US bombs and nuclear weapons, in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East.

Asked if the B-2s were meant to send a message to Tehran, Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Panama: “We’ll let them decide. It’s a great asset ... it sends a message to everybody.

“President Trump’s been clear ... Iran should not have a nuclear bomb.” he said.

“We very much hope _ the President is focused on doing that peacefully.”

The US president made a surprise announcement on Monday that the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme on April 12, warning that Iran would be in “great danger” if the talks were unsuccessful.

Iran, which had pushed against Trump’s demands in recent weeks, said indirect talks would be held in Oman, underscoring the differences between the two countries.

Trump on Wednesday repeated a threat to use military force if Iran did not agree to end its nuclear programme.

“I’m not asking for much ... but they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will, obviously, be ... the leader of that. No one leads us. We do what we want.” He declined to address when any military action could begin.

Although B-2 bombers have been employed to strike Houthi targets in Yemen in the past, most experts say use of the stealthy bomber is overkill there.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2025