Senior cleric says Iran will not halt enrichment, despite US stance

Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, the Friday prayer Imam in the city of Qom, said the Iranian government, nation and Supreme Leader would not allow uranium enrichment to be halted, regardless of US demands.

“The fifth round of negotiations has ended. We are neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic. The Americans say they won’t allow Iran to continue enrichment. But we say clearly to the people: our government, our nation and our dear leader will not allow enrichment to stop in this country,” he said, according to Iranian media.

The remarks follow comments by US officials that any final agreement with Iran would require an end to enrichment. Iranian officials have continued to describe enrichment as a non-negotiable right.