Iran Says Nuclear Talks Must Protect Uranium Enrichment Rights
Iran said Monday it is open to considering any plan to resolve its nuclear dispute—provided it allows uranium enrichment to continue on Iranian soil. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that enrichment is “an inseparable part” of the country’s rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that “any proposal capable of guaranteeing this important component will be worth considering for us.”
Baghaei also signaled a harder line toward the United States, saying the conditions for possible direct talks have “drastically changed.” He listed Tehran’s priorities as “holding the United States to account and demanding compensation for the military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.”
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
His comments come in the aftermath of a dramatic escalation in June. On June 13, Israel launched extensive airstrikes against multiple targets in Iran, including nuclear and military sites. Nine days later, the US carried out its own strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The fighting ended with a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on June 24, after nearly two weeks of hostilities.
In the days since, Washington has stepped up calls for Tehran to halt all uranium enrichment—a demand Iran has flatly rejected. The dispute over enrichment has long been one of the most contentious issues between Iran and world powers, with Tehran insisting on its right to produce nuclear fuel and critics warning that enrichment technology could be used to develop weapons.
