Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to uranium enrichment on Thursday afternoon, a day before nuclear talks with European powers resume in Istanbul.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran would continue its peaceful nuclear program, including uranium enrichment, asserting the country’s inalienable rights under international law.
“We will continue to steadfastly defend the rights of the Iranian people in peaceful nuclear energy, particularly enrichment,” Araqchi said during a meeting with the family of Major General Mohammad Baqeri in Tehran.
“Our enrichment will continue; we will not relinquish this right,” he affirmed.
The statement comes ahead of the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Germany, France, the UK, and the EU, scheduled for Friday in Istanbul.
More than a week after the Israeli aggression, the United States joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites, an action which constitutes a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The US and the Israeli regime have repeatedly called for an outright halt to the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear enrichment activities.
For its part, Tehran has resolutely defended its sovereign right to engage in nuclear enrichment for peaceful and civilian purposes.
Araqchi highlighted Iran’s readiness to advance its nuclear program within a logical and reasonable framework, aiming to build trust with concerned nations.
However, he emphasized that such trust must be reciprocal, with Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear energy, including enrichment, being respected.
Araqchi described the upcoming talks as a continuation of previous discussions, asserting that Iran’s position remains clear and unchanged. “The world must know that our positions are clear and have not changed,” he said.
The Istanbul meeting follows a series of negotiations, including the fifth round held in May in the same city. Earlier discussions took place in New York and Geneva, with a ministerial-level meeting in Geneva on June 20.
Despite challenges, including recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to its nuclear rights and its willingness to engage in constructive dialogue based on mutual respect and national interests.