Iran Declares Uranium Enrichment ‘Non-Negotiable’ Ahead of New Talks with U.S.
“If we continue to hear contradictory and conflicting positions, we are going to have problems,” Araghchi warned.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations over the country’s uranium enrichment program, just days ahead of a second round of high-level nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, AFP reported."
“Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted matter. We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Araghchi told reporters following a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
His remarks came in direct response to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s call for Iran to “stop and eliminate” its uranium enrichment efforts—an escalation from Washington’s earlier demand for Iran to return to the 3.67% enrichment cap set by the 2015 nuclear deal.
The comments mark a sharp contrast in tone just days after both sides described their initial meeting last Saturday in Oman as “constructive.” Another round is scheduled for this coming weekend.
The diplomatic exchanges follow a renewed push by U.S. President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January and reimposed stringent sanctions on Iran as part of a “maximum pressure” strategy. In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing dialogue but warning of potential military action if talks fail.
Araghchi criticized what he called “contradictory and conflicting positions” from the U.S. administration. “We will find out the true opinions of the Americans during the negotiation session,” he said.
While expressing a willingness to begin talks on a framework for a possible agreement, Araghchi cautioned that success depends on a unified and constructive American stance.
“If we continue to hear contradictory and conflicting positions, we are going to have problems,” he warned.
Iran’s Supreme Leader echoed a note of caution on Tuesday, saying that while the talks had gotten off to a promising start, their outcome remained uncertain.
“The negotiations may or may not yield results,” Khamenei said.
The revived diplomatic effort comes nearly seven years after Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement that had placed limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Since the withdrawal, Iran has progressively exceeded JCPOA limits, enriching uranium at higher levels and drawing international concern over the program’s potential military dimensions.
