Iran to continue uranium enrichment "with or without a deal", foreign minister says

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran will continue enriching uranium despite statements from U.S. officials.

“Our stance on Iran's rights as a NPT member is crystal clear, and there is no scenario in which Iranians will permit deviance from that. Mastering enrichment technology is a hard-earned and homegrown scientific achievement; an outcome of great sacrifice of both blood and treasure,” Caliber.Az quotes the minister as saying on X.

The minister noted Tehran’s readiness for serious talks towards achieving a solution: “If the U.S. is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome. Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.”

For the record, Iran has long maintained that its uranium enrichment activities are for peaceful purposes, as permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which it is a signatory. However, Western powers, particularly the United States and European countries, have expressed concerns that Iran's expanding nuclear program could lead to the development of nuclear weapons capabilities.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Iran and world powers, sought to curb Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limit its enrichment levels and uranium stockpiles, but the deal began to unravel in 2018 when the U.S. under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed heavy sanctions.

In response, Iran gradually scaled back its JCPOA commitments, enriching uranium to levels far beyond those allowed under the accord. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has since raised concerns over Iran’s increasing stockpile of enriched uranium and its limited transparency with inspectors.

By Khagan Isayev