International Minister Araghchi insists Iran’s nuclear actions are civilian in nature.
Iran has defended its proper to counterpoint uranium, doubling down on a long-held stance as the subsequent spherical of nuclear negotiations with the US in Oman had been abruptly delayed.
International Minister Abbas Araghchi took to social media on Saturday to declare, “Iran has each proper to own the total nuclear gasoline cycle,” referencing the nation’s membership within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He added, “There are a number of NPT members which enrich uranium whereas wholly rejecting nuclear weapons,” underlining Iran’s argument that its nuclear actions are civilian in nature.
“Maximalist positioning and incendiary rhetoric obtain nothing besides eroding the possibilities of success,” added Araghchi, in reference to the US place that Iran should cease all enrichment actions.
In a Thursday interview with Fox Information, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Iran to halt its enrichment efforts, arguing, “the one nations on the earth that enrich uranium are those which have nuclear weapons.” Nevertheless, nations like Germany, Japan and Brazil additionally conduct enrichment with out possessing nuclear arsenals.
The feedback come after a fourth spherical of oblique talks between Washington and Tehran, initially scheduled for Saturday, was postponed.
I typically chorus from airing arguments on key negotiation components by the media.
What I’ll say is that repeating falsehoods won’t change primary information. As a founding signatory to the NPT, Iran has each proper to own the total nuclear gasoline cycle. Furthermore, there…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 2, 2025
Oman, appearing as a mediator, cited “logistical causes” for the delay. A brand new date stays unconfirmed, with one Iranian official telling the Reuters information company it might rely on “the US strategy”.
The setback follows a brand new wave of US sanctions tied to Iran’s oil gross sales and alleged continued assist for Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Tehran responded by accusing Washington of sending “contradictory messages” that undermined diplomacy.
France added to the uncertainty earlier this week when International Minister Jean-Noel Barrot claimed Iran was “on the verge of buying nuclear weapons” – a cost Tehran dismissed as “merely absurd”.
Iran, which insists it doesn’t search a bomb, has persistently maintained its nuclear programme complies with IAEA oversight.
Araghchi reiterated that Iran’s proper to counterpoint was “non-negotiable”, whilst IAEA chief Rafael Grossi advised on Wednesday that any enriched materials in Iran might be both dissolved or exported if a deal had been reached.
The diplomatic impasse comes as world powers weigh whether or not significant progress can nonetheless be achieved on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by world powers, which collapsed after the US, beneath the primary Donald Trump presidential time period, unilaterally deserted it in 2018.
The 2015 deal, often called the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA) noticed Iran curtail its nuclear programme in trade for sanctions aid.