On the sidelines of a ceremony commemorating the late President Ebrahim Raeisi at Imam Khomeini’s Hosseiniyeh on Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi touched on the indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
“What we are currently witnessing are completely irrational and illogical positions from the Americans, which have been made public in recent days,” the top Iranian diplomat told reporters.
“These positions have been met with Iran’s immediate response. Uranium enrichment is not a negotiable issue from our perspective. I have already given a clear response over the past few days, and today, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has also made the position absolutely clear.”
“We entered negotiations based on principles that ensure the rights of the Iranian people, and we will not compromise on those rights under any circumstances.”
In his remarks on Monday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described the US call for stopping Iran’s uranium enrichment as ‘nonsense’.
“The issue of [nuclear] negotiations was brought up. I have a notice for the other side,” he said, adding that the American side, which engages in these indirect talks, should avoid making nonsense remarks.
“Saying things like ‘We will not allow Iran to enrich uranium’ is nonsense. No one [in Iran] is waiting for others’ 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 the Americans and their Western allies insist so strongly on stopping uranium enrichment in Iran. I will make it clear what their real intentions are.”
“We don’t think [nuclear] talks [with the US] will bring results. We don’t know what will happen,” he declared.
Iranian negotiators, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, engaged in a fourth round of discussions with an American delegation in Muscat on Sunday. The American team was headed by the US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Mediated by Oman, the talks have been described by both sides as productive and progressing well. The discussions are primarily focused on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions through a potential agreement to replace the 2015 landmark deal, which the US unilaterally withdrew from during Trump’s first term in office.
MP/
