According to Press TV, Abbas Araguchi said Thursday that if the US insists on zero enrichment for Iran, there would be no deals.
“We will not waive our rights. We must continue our nuclear program, including enrichment, but we are ready to take confidence-building measures,” Araguchi said.
“I honestly declare that what American officials said in the interview is not true that they don’t believe in Iran’s enrichment,” he said.
“But if the goal is to ensure that nuclear weapons are not available, then this can be achieved because in principle we do not seek nuclear weapons,” the Foreign Minister said.
The minister said Iran never tried to build a nuclear weapon, but it has the technical ability to do so.
He reiterated that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine.
Referring to Israeli threats regarding attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, Aragut said Iran is ready to defend itself, and the response is quick and strong.
He added that Iran believes the US will be responsible for the possibility of an Israeli attack, whether or not the US military is involved.
He also touched on the threat posed by European parties in the 2015 nuclear deal to stimulate the snapback mechanism and restore UN sanctions on Iran.
He said that Europeans could recover these sanctions, but in that case they would lose contact with Iran and create a crisis in the global non-proliferation system.
Iran and the United States have already held four rounds of indirect negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, mediated by Oman, amid repeated changes in Washington’s attitude.
The US also continues to impose new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry and nuclear program despite ongoing consultations.
Washington has repeatedly insisted on demanding a “complete halt” of Iran’s peaceful uranium enrichment activities, and has attempted to label every level of enrichment as a “red line.”
This states that Tehran has firmly rejected the idea and will continue its enrichment programme regardless of the outcome of the consultation.
MNA