TEHRAN – Iran does not agree to halt uranium enrichment as a result of ongoing consultations with the US, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared during the Tehran era.
“This report is simply false and fictional,” Esmaeir Bakaei said in a statement to the Tehran Times. “Enrichment is an integral part of our peaceful nuclear program, arising from our intransitable rights under the NPT and is also enforced in UNSC Resolution 2231.”
Iran and the US have been holding five rounds of indirect negotiations starting in April. The talks aim to limit Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the termination of sanctions.
For decades, Iranians have argued that they will never halt uranium enrichment and that their agreement on the nuclear program must respect this principle. However, the Trump administration has expressed a contradictory position. Their only concern has stated that Iran is hampering the development of nuclear weapons, while others have argued that enrichment must be stopped completely.
Analysts believe pressure on Iran to stop the enrichment of uranium could ultimately lead to a collapse in negotiations.
By Mona Hojat Ansari