Iran says no longer enriching uranium, US not ready for ‘equal, fair’ nuclear talks

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said Tehran was no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country.

He offered the most direct response yet from the Iranian government regarding its nuclear programme following Israel and the United States’ bombing its enrichment sites in June. “There is no undeclared nuclear enrichment in Iran. All of our facilities are under the safeguards and monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Araghchi said. “There is no enrichment right now because our enrichment facilities have been attacked.”

Washington’s current approach towards Tehran did not indicate any readiness for “equal and fair negotiations”, the Iranian minister said on Sunday after US President Donald Trump hinted last week at potential discussions. Following Israel’s attack on Iran in June, which was joined by US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, attempts at renewing dialogue on Tehran’s nuclear programme have failed. The US, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme as a veil for efforts to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran and Washington underwent five rounds of indirect nuclear talks prior to the 12-days-war, but faced obstacles such as the issue of domestic uranium enrichment, which the US wants Iran to forego. “The US cannot expect to gain what it couldn’t in war through negotiations,” Abbas Araqchi said during a Tehran conference named “international law under assault”.

“Iran will always be prepared to engage in diplomacy, but not negotiations meant for dictation,” he said. During the same conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh accused Washington of pursuing its wartime goals with “negotiations as a show”.