Oman has proposed a six-month halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment as a confidence-building measure aimed at breaking the deadlock in Iran-US nuclear talks, a senior Iranian lawmaker revealed on Monday.
Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Didban Iran that Muscat’s offer includes a temporary pause in enrichment with the possibility of resuming activities afterward.
However, he said Tehran has not accepted the proposal due to concerns rooted in past experiences.
Ardestani's interview has been removed from the Didban Iran website. Hours after it was published, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency denied his remarks about Oman's proposal.
"The Omanis told us, ‘Stop enrichment for now for six months and then resume it again,’" Ardestani said. "But Iran has not yet accepted this offer, because based on past experience, there is the likelihood of further excessive demands from the other side."
He warned that if negotiations break down, Iran possesses 300 kilograms of enriched uranium—an amount he said is sufficient to produce ten atomic bombs.
Despite the ongoing talks, Ardestani emphasized that Iran would not abandon its enrichment program and is likely to continue enrichment at levels even higher than those permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
"There will be a deal, and Iran will enrich at a level one step above the JCPOA," he said, reiterating that enrichment remains a red line for the Islamic Republic.
