Iran has ruled out the temporary suspension of its uranium enrichment activities to secure a new nuclear deal with the US, reported Reuters.
On Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, rejected the possibility of freezing enrichment for three years to reach a deal with the US. “Iran will never accept that,” he said during a press conference.
The US and Iran are holding talks to resolve their dispute over Tehran’s rapidly developing nuclear program. The latest round took place on Friday in Rome, with the mediation of Oman.
On Sunday, the US President, Donald Trump, described the talks between American negotiators and the Iranian delegation as “very good.”
On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Friday that the talks are “too complex to resolve in one or two meetings,” according to The Guardian. He also hoped that “in the next one or two meetings we can reach solutions that will allow the negotiations to progress. With Oman’s solutions to remove obstacles, there is a possibility of progress.”
In his remarks, Baghaei said that Tehran was waiting for further details from the Omani mediator regarding the timing of the upcoming talks with the US. “If there is goodwill from the American side, we are also optimistic, but if talks are aimed at curbing Iran’s rights, then talks will get nowhere,” he noted.
Both the US and Iran remain divided over many red lines. Washington wants to curb Tehran’s capability of producing a nuclear weapon, while Iran insists that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
