TEHRAN: The head of Iran’s nuclear agency, Mohammad Eslami, stated on Thursday that Iran will not accept any limitations on its uranium enrichment activities, asserting that the demands from the United States and Israel are unrealistic and will not be fulfilled.
Eslami told Iran’s ISNA news agency that “the accusations and requests from our adversaries to curb Iran’s enrichment efforts are merely wishful thinking that will ultimately be dismissed.” His comments came ahead of upcoming talks scheduled to take place at the end of the week between Iran and the US, mediated by Pakistan.
He emphasized that despite various hostile actions, including the ongoing conflict, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have persisted unaltered. “All the plots and hostile moves, including this brutal war, have not achieved their goals. Now, they are attempting to influence us through negotiations,” Eslami added.
The debate over Iran’s uranium enrichment program has been a focal point in Western relations with Tehran for over twenty years. Western countries, led by the US, accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Iran consistently denies, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
US President Donald Trump declared that Iran would not be permitted to pursue uranium enrichment, asserting that Tehran was rushing to develop nuclear
arms an assertion that the UN’s nuclear watchdog has not substantiated.
Recently, tensions escalated after Israeli and US airstrikes on February 28, which marked the start of a new conflict involving Iran’s nuclear activities. During a 12-day conflict in June, Israel and the US targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, claiming to have compromised its uranium enrichment capacity. However, the fate of several hundred kilograms of highly enriched uranium remains uncertain, with reports suggesting it may be concealed beneath rubble at bombed sites.
President Trump even hinted on social media that Iran and the US might collaborate to recover and safely remove this buried nuclear material. Prior to the recent escalation, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% limit set by the now-expired 2015 nuclear deal, and approaching the 90% level required for weapons-grade uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
