Tehran (TDI): Iran has rejected temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure a nuclear agreement with the United States, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, adding that no date had yet been set for a sixth round of negotiations with Washington.
The talks between Iran and US aim to resolve a decades-long conflict over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and both countries have taken a tough stance in public over the matter of Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Asked about reports that Tehran could freeze enrichment for three years to reach a deal, spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told a media conference: “Iran will never accept that.”
Baghaei also ruled out the possibility of an interim nuclear agreement with Washington, dismissing media reports that a provisional deal was being considered as a temporary measure toward a final treaty.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that US negotiating team had “very good” discussions with an Iranian team over the weekend.
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Tehran is waiting for further details from mediator Oman regarding the timing of the next round of negotiations, Baghaei said.
He added that if there is goodwill from Washington, Iran is also optimistic, but if negotiations are aimed at curbing Tehran’s rights, then discussions will get nowhere.
The stakes are high for both countries. Trump wants to curtail Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel.
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Iran, for its part, argues its nuclear program is exclusively for civilian purposes and wants to be rid of crippling sanctions on its oil-based economy.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
