On the sidelines at a ceremony commemorating the late President Ebrahim Reisi in Imam Khomeini’s Hoseyni on Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragutz touched on indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
“What we are witnessing now is a completely irrational and illogical position from Americans that are recently made public,” a top Iranian diplomat told reporters.
“These positions are met with Iran’s immediate response. Uranium enrichment is not a negotiable issue from our perspective. I have already given a clear response in the past few days. Today, the leader of the Islamic Revolution has also made its position completely clear.”
“We negotiated on the principles that secure the rights of the people of Iran and therefore will not compromise those rights under any circumstances.”
In his remarks on Monday, Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Seiyed Ali Khamenei said the US wanted Iran to stop uranium enrichment as “nonsense.”
“The issue of (nuclear) negotiations has been raised. I have a notice on the other side,” he said.
“It’s nonsense to say things like “Iran will not allow uranium to enrich.” No one is waiting for other people’s permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies and methods and will pursue them (independently),” he emphasized.
“At another appropriate time, I will explain to the Iranian people why Americans and their Western allies are insisting on stopping the enrichment of Iranian uranium. I will make it clear what their true intentions are.”
“We don’t think that (nuclear) consultations will have consequences (with the US). We don’t know what will happen,” he declared.
Iranian negotiators led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araguchi were engaged in a fourth round discussion with the American delegation in Muscat on Sunday. The American team was led by the US President’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The consultation mediated by Oman is described as productive and advances by both sides. The discussion focuses primarily on lifting sanctions through Iran’s nuclear program and a potential agreement to replace the 2015 landmark deal.
MP/