Iran rejects push to suspend uranium enrichment to reach US deal
Iran on Monday ruled out suspending uranium
enrichment as part of any nuclear deal with the United States — a key demand
from Washington in successive rounds of talks between the foes.
The issue has come into focus in recent weeks, with Iran staunchly defending
its right to enrich uranium as part of what it says is a civilian nuclear
programme, while the United States wants it to stop.
The negotiations, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between
the two sides since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord
during US President Donald Trump’s first term.
Trump described the latest round of discussions in Rome as “very, very good”,
while Iran’s foreign minister described it as “complicated”.
Since returning to office, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” campaign
on the Islamic republic, backing diplomacy but warning of military action if
it fails.
Tehran wants a new deal that would ease sanctions battering its economy.
Western governments and Israel suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear
weapons — a charge it strongly denies.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the talks for Washington,
said the United States “could not authorise even one percent” of enrichment
by Iran.
– ‘Totally false’ –
On Monday, Iran ruled out suspending its uranium enrichment.
“This information is a figment of the imagination and totally false,” said
foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, asked about the possibility during
a press briefing in Tehran.
Iran insists it has the right to a civilian nuclear programme, including for
energy, and considers the US demand a red line that violates the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.
Following the latest round of Omani-mediated talks in Rome, Iran’s foreign
minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi downplayed the progress,
stressing “the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or
three meetings”.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the fifth round concluded “with
some but not conclusive progress”, adding he hoped “the remaining issues”
would be clarified in the coming days.
But on Sunday Trump said the ongoing discussions had been “very, very good”.
“I think we could have some good news on the Iran front,” he said, adding
that an announcement could come “over the next two days.”
No date has yet been set for the next talks, according to Iran’s foreign
ministry.
The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the
Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, during which Iran’s nuclear
activities will be reviewed.
They also come before the October expiry of the 2015 accord, which aimed to
allay US and European Union suspicions that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons
capability, an ambition that Tehran has consistently denied.
Iran has ramped up its nuclear activities since the collapse of the 2015
deal, and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent — far above the deal’s 3.67
percent cap but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.
Experts say that uranium enriched beyond 20 percent can be further enriched
to a weapons-grade level quickly.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to visit Oman this week.
