Iran has warned that ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States will be fruitless if Washington insists on a complete halt to Tehran’s uranium enrichment. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi made the remarks in comments published by state media on Monday.
The statement follows U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s reaffirmation over the weekend that any renewed agreement must prohibit Iran from enriching uranium—an activity that could potentially lead to the development of nuclear weapons. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful energy purposes.
“Our stance on enrichment is firm. It’s a national achievement, and we will not retreat from it,” Takhtravanchi stated.
Last week, during his visit to the Gulf, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about reaching a new deal, suggesting that one was within reach if Iran acted swiftly to resolve the long-standing dispute.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday criticized the U.S. for making conflicting public and private statements, which, they say, complicates the negotiation process.
“Despite these mixed signals from the Americans, we remain engaged in the talks,” said spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
According to an Iranian official speaking to Reuters, a fifth round of negotiations is tentatively scheduled to be held in Rome this weekend, pending final confirmation.
During his previous term in office (2017–2021), President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement that had imposed strict limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in return for lifting international sanctions. He denounced the deal as being heavily skewed in Iran’s favor and reinstated sweeping U.S. sanctions. In response, Iran ramped up its enrichment efforts.
