‘Will never give up nuclear enrichment’: Iran strikes defiant tone as US talks continue
Iran will “never” give up uranium enrichment, even if war is imposed on the country, Iran’s foreign minister said on Sunday. Speaking at a forum in Tehran, Abbas Araghchi said Iran had “paid a very heavy price” for what it describes as its peaceful nuclear programme. “Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour,” he said, two days after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman.Speaking on Friday, Araghchi had said that enrichment is Iran’s “inalienable right and must continue”, though he added that Tehran was ready to reach a “reassuring agreement” on the issue. He described the latest round of indirect negotiations in Muscat as “a good start”, revealing that an opportunity arose to shake hands with the American delegation. Still, he cautioned that “there is a long way to go to build trust” and said further talks would resume soon.US President Donald Trump called the discussions “very good” and signalled another round next week. At the same time, Washington has maintained pressure. A fresh executive order imposing tariffs on countries doing business with Iran has come into effect, alongside new sanctions targeting shipping entities and vessels linked to Iranian oil exports.Military tensions remain close to the surface. Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, with US Central Command publicising the trip. Witkoff said the carrier group was “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength”.Araghchi warned that any American attack would be met with retaliation against US bases in the region. He also insisted Iran’s missile programme was “never negotiable” because it concerns national defence, rejecting calls from Washington and Israel to widen the scope of talks beyond the nuclear file.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet Trump in Washington, with his office saying any agreement must include limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles and an end to its support for regional allies.
