Araghchi says US has not sought zero enrichment in nuclear talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that the United States has not asked Tehran to permanently stop uranium enrichment, pushing back on reports that Washington was demanding zero enrichment.
Speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Araghchi said recent talks in Geneva had been constructive and that both sides had agreed on guiding principles for a possible deal.
“The US side has not asked for zero enrichment,” he said, adding that Iran had not offered to suspend enrichment either.
“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,” he said.
Araghchi said there was “no military solution” to Iran’s nuclear program and that the only path forward was diplomacy, adding that Iran was prepared for both negotiation and war.
He said technical measures were under discussion to ensure the program remains peaceful, and noted that International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi had played a constructive role in recent negotiations.
He also said the two sides had agreed to prepare a draft framework for a possible agreement and would begin negotiating its language at their next meeting, calling the process “a normal way of any international negotiations.”
Araghchi said Iran was ready for diplomacy but warned that if attacked again, it would defend itself, adding that after the previous 12-day conflict its “enemies had no way but to ask for an unconditional ceasefire.”
