Iran says no nuclear talks if US insists halting uranium enrichment

Tehran: Iran has announced that nuclear talks will not take place if the US insists on stopping uranium enrichment.

According to a foreign news agency, Iran made it clear on Monday that if the US's condition for nuclear talks is that Iran stops uranium enrichment, then such talks will not take place.

The US and Iran have held several talks on the nuclear program, but Israel’s surprise attacks stopped these negotiations.

After the end of the war, both countries have indicated the resumption of talks, but Iran has made it clear that it will not give up its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Ali Velayati, an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said, while speaking to the state news agency (IRNA), that if the condition for talks is to stop enrichment, then such talks will not take place.

This statement came at a time when Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said that no date, time, or place has been set for any meeting with the US at the moment.

This possible meeting was expected between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoy Steve Wittkoff.

It is pertinent to note that Iran and the US have sat at the negotiating table five times since April this year, but have not reached any final agreement.

This was the highest-level contact between the two countries since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018.