Iran says nuclear talks will fail if US pushes for zero enrichment
Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States “will lead nowhere” if Washington insists that Tehran drop its uranium enrichment activity to zero, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi was quoted by state media on Monday as saying.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated Washington’s stance on Sunday that any new deal between the U.S. and Iran must include an agreement not to enrich uranium, a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes.
“Our position on enrichment is clear and we have repeatedly stated that it is a national achievement from which we will not back down,” Takhtravanchi said.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, responded to Witkoff’s statement on Sunday, saying, “Unrealistic expectations stop negotiations, enrichment in Iran is not something that can be stopped.”
“I think he (Witkoff) is completely at a distance from the reality of the negotiations,” Araqchi added.
During his visit to the Gulf region last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal was very close but that Iran needed to move quickly.
On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would continue Iran-U.S. nuclear talks but is not afraid of threats, adding that Iran would not “back down from our legitimate rights”.
“Because we refuse to bow to bullying, they say we are source of instability in the region,” he said.
A fourth round of Iran-U.S. talks ended in Oman last Sunday. A new round has not been scheduled yet.
