Iran’s foreign minister stated Sunday that the country will continue its uranium enrichment activities regardless of whether a nuclear deal is secured with the US.
Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi discussed the negotiations between Iran and the US in a message on X, referring to Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program.”
In his statement, Araghchi noted that US officials involved in the discussions are at liberty to express their views to counter special interest groups or malevolent actors who influence previous administrations.
“Iran can only control what we Iranians do, and that is refraining from public negotiations—especially considering the current discrepancy between what our US counterparts say publicly and privately, and from one week to another,” Araghchi said. “Our position on Iran’s rights as a [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] signatory is unmistakably clear, and there is no scenario in which Iran will accept any deviation from these rights.
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“Mastering enrichment technology is a significant scientific achievement, hard-earned and developed within our country, resulting from great sacrifices in terms of lives and resources,” he continued. “If the US is intent on guaranteeing Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons, a deal is attainable, and Iran is prepared for a serious discussion to achieve a permanent solution. Nevertheless, uranium enrichment in Iran will proceed with or without an agreement.”
Just a few days earlier, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US had presented Iran with a proposal for a nuclear deal.
At the time, Trump stated that Iranian officials know they have to act swiftly or “something bad will happen.”
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US and Iranian officials have conducted four rounds of talks, mainly in Oman, since Trump took office to address Iran’s nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, acting as the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reported in March that Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium had alarmingly increased from 182 kg to 275 kg (approximately 401 pounds to 606 pounds) by early 2025.
“Once you reach 60%, you’re 90% of the way [to a nuclear bomb]. Essentially, you’ve become a threshold nuclear weapons state, which Iran has essentially achieved,” Sen. Marco Rubio stated on “Hannity” on Thursday.
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Split image of President Trump with Ayatollah Khamenei examining Iranian centrifuges. (Reuters)
“They are on the brink of obtaining a nuclear weapon. If they decide to proceed, they could do so rapidly. If they store enough of the 60% enriched material, they could quickly convert it to 90% and weaponize it. This is the threat we face today. This is the current urgency,” Rubio stated.
The president also stated Thursday during his visit to the United Arab Emirates that the US and Iran have “pretty much” agreed on the terms of a nuclear deal.
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“Iran has pretty much agreed to the terms. They’re not going to make — I say this in a friendly manner — nuclear dust,” Trump told reporters. “We’re not going to allow any nuclear activity in Iran.”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman, Ashley Carnahan, and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.
