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Iran Rejects Pressure to Halt Uranium Enrichment Amid Regional Tensions
Ahead of U.S. Talks in Oman, Iranian Officials Insist on Nuclear Rights and Warn Against Israeli Military Threats.
Watan-A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that Iran will not relinquish its right to enrich uranium despite rising tensions in the region.
The official added that a “friendly” state in the region had warned Tehran of a potential Israeli military strike.
He said the escalating tension aims to “pressure Tehran into changing its stance on nuclear rights” ahead of upcoming talks with the United States scheduled for Sunday in Oman.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American personnel would be evacuated from the Middle East due to it potentially being “a dangerous place,” reiterating that the United States will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Iran Stands Firm on Nuclear Rights Ahead of U.S. Talks in Oman
Iran and the U.S. are set to hold a new round of talks in Muscat, Oman, this Sunday in an effort to resolve the decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Significant obstacles remain after five rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Chief among them is Iran’s rejection of a U.S. demand to halt uranium enrichment altogether.
In parallel, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that the foundation of negotiations with the U.S. is based on the directives of the Supreme Leader and that Iran will not submit to coercion.
According to Tasnim International News Agency on Thursday, Pezeshkian stated:“We will never accept reducing our research to zero while waiting for their approval to access nuclear materials needed for industry, medicine, agriculture, and science.”
During a visit to Ilam province in western Iran on Wednesday evening, Pezeshkian told local political and social leaders:“Who said we shouldn’t be allowed to conduct scientific research? What gives them the right to demand the complete dismantling of our nuclear industry?”
He asserted:“We will never back down. The Supreme Leader has made it clear: Iran will not build a nuclear bomb. That is our firm policy.”
Pezeshkian continued:“They say we shouldn’t possess this [nuclear] knowledge. Tomorrow, if we say something, Israel might bomb us… In the past, Saddam used to bombard our cities daily. When our scientists developed missiles, he could no longer hit us. We achieved deterrence.”
