Tehran, May 26 (EFE).– Iran once again on Monday ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment, even temporarily, to reach an agreement with the United States in nuclear talks.
During the talks, the fifth round of which was held on Friday, the issue of uranium enrichment has been a sticking point in reaching an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei, during his weekly news conference, stressed that uranium enrichment was the integral part of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and would be maintained.
Baghaei rejected media speculation about the possibility of a temporary agreement between Iran and the US, in which Tehran would agree to suspend uranium enrichment for three years in exchange for lifting part of the sanctions.
Iran would not make the slightest concession in this respect, according to the Iranian diplomat, defending his country’s right to develop its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
Baghaei underlined that if the United States’ objective was that Tehran does not use its nuclear program for military purposes, it would be possible to seal an agreement, but if it was to limit Iran’s rights, then there would be no deal.
As for the next round of negotiations, Baghaei said that neither the date nor the place have yet been decided, which, he said, will be announced later by the mediator Oman.
As for the next round of negotiations, Baghaei said that the date and place were yet to be decided, which, he said, would be announced later by the mediating country, Oman.
Iran and the US began nuclear negotiations on 12 April and have since held five rounds of talks in Muscat (Oman) and Rome.
The parties arrived at their fifth meeting on Friday with notable differences over Tehran’s uranium enrichment, something the Islamic Republic considers a red line and not ready to concede.
Meanwhile, the US authorities, in turn, declared the Iran continuation of uranium enrichment a red line. EFE
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