Iran rejects ‘unacceptable’ US nuclear demand

Tehran won’t dismantle its entire atomic infrastructure to reach a new deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected a key US demand to dismantle his country’s nuclear infrastructure, during the latest talks in Oman. He insisted that Iran’s nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes only.

Addressing a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Pezeshkian said Tehran is “serious” in its renewed engagement with Washington. “We are negotiating [seriously] because we desire peace.”

However, he dismissed the US demand regarding nuclear infrastructure, calling it “unacceptable,” while stressing that Iran “will continue to pursue these peaceful activities in a powerful manner.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported progress in the negotiations with the US in Muscat, Oman, noting that the sides have reached “a better understanding.”

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“The fourth round of discussions was much more serious and candid than the previous three rounds,” Araghchi told reporters. “We’ve moved beyond generalities and started dealing with more detailed issues,” he said, calling the talks “constructive.”

Araghchi stressed that uranium enrichment and the removal of sanctions are central to Iran’s position. “From our point of view, enrichment is an issue that must definitely continue, and there is absolutely no room for compromise there,” he stated. He added, however, that the level and scale could be subject to certain limitations for “confidence-building purposes.”

The US and its allies have expressed concern about Iran’s enrichment activities, which they fear could provide the country with a head start to quickly produce weapons-grade uranium. Tehran has repeatedly dismissed the allegations that it is seeking to create a nuclear bomb.

Commenting on the talks, an unnamed senior US official told CNN that the discussions “were again both direct and indirect” and that Washington “was encouraged by today’s outcome and looks forward to their next meeting, which will happen in the near future.” He added that the sides are now expected to focus on “technical elements.”

The US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal just three years later. US President Donald Trump argued that it did nothing to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The agreement focused on easing sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.