Tehran instructs delegation to walk away from talks if enrichment forbidden

The Iranian negotiating team has been instructed not to proceed with any talks that include proposals to halt or reduce uranium enrichment to zero, Iran International has learned.

According to information obtained by Iran International, a formal directive was issued to the delegation ahead of the fifth round of indirect negotiations with the United States in Rome.

The order said any discussion of ending enrichment is off-limits, and negotiators are required to reject such proposals outright.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s televised interview, aired the night before the talks began, was part of this coordinated approach.

The appearance, organized in consultation with the Supreme National Security Council and the sanctions negotiations committee, aimed to publicly reinforce Tehran’s red lines and manage expectations over a possible failure of the Rome talks.

The messaging also sought to frame the US as responsible should the talks collapse, by emphasizing Iran’s refusal to abandon what it views as its core nuclear rights.