TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday reiterated that Tehran would not stop enriching uranium, reaffirming Tehran’s firm stance in response to US warnings.
The spokesman made the comments during a weekly press conference in Tehran, responding to statements made on Sunday by US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
Speaking to US-based ABC News, Witkoff said, “We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow Iran to have even 1 percent of an enrichment capability.”
Baqaei also said that enrichment “is not some fantasy that Iran can be demanded to halt or suspend,” and as part of the natural cycle of the country’s nuclear industry, it is “absolutely non-negotiable.”
“We do not seek permission from anyone for uranium enrichment on Iran’s soil, and the United States is not in a position to be able to give or not to give permission to a country regarding this right that has been stated in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” he said.
He said what makes negotiating with the US exceptionally difficult is that it is like “you are dealing with a party that adheres to none of the standard norms of a diplomatic process.”
“The very act of imposing sanctions while claiming to pursue a diplomatic process with Iran demonstrates a lack of seriousness and good faith.”
It is pertinent to mention that Tehran and Washington have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between the two countries since the United States abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord.
In a phone call Sunday evening with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also reiterated that Iran’s right to use peaceful nuclear energy could not be disregarded.
“If the other side demonstrates real determination and respects Iran’s legitimate rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we are ready to form a win-win interaction in return for the lifting of (US) sanctions,” Araghchi said.
A fifth round is expected to be held in the coming days, with its date and venue to be announced later.
