The United States is not demanding that Iran entirely cease its uranium enrichment program, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday, in comments that could shape ongoing negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Amir-Abdollahian’s remarks, made during a press briefing in New York following talks with U.S. officials, appeared intended to clarify Tehran’s interpretation of Washington’s position amid a tense diplomatic landscape over Iran’s nuclear program and broader regional security concerns.
“We do not see any indication that the United States seeks zero enrichment,” the Iranian foreign minister said. He described the nuclear issue as one that should be addressed through diplomacy and mutual respect rather than maximalist demands. “The Islamic Republic is ready for serious talks on safeguards, transparency and cooperation,” he added.
The comments come at a time when nuclear tensions have surged in the wider Middle East following a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and as the U.S. and European powers seek to prevent further escalation involving Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Washington has insisted it does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon but has stopped short of calling for a complete halt to all enrichment activities, which Iran says are for peaceful civilian energy needs. Uranium enrichment, the process of increasing the concentration of the isotope uranium-235, is central to both nuclear energy generation and weapons development, making it a core point of contention.
Iran’s nuclear program has been subject to international scrutiny for years. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran agreed to limits on enrichment levels and stockpiles in exchange for sanctions relief. Since the United States’ withdrawal from the deal in 2018 under former President Donald Trump, Iran has progressively expanded its enrichment capacity.
The Biden administration has repeatedly called for diplomatic engagement with Iran while imposing fresh sanctions on sectors tied to Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs. European powers, including France and Germany, have also been engaged in talks aimed at reviving some form of restrictive framework, even if different from the original JCPOA.
Reacting to Amir-Abdollahian’s statement, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington seeks “meaningful limits” on Iran’s nuclear activities and “rigorous verification” mechanisms, but avoided directly endorsing Tehran’s interpretation of U.S. intent.
Analysts said the Iranian comments are likely designed in part to ease domestic pressure and reassure regional allies that Tehran does not face impossible diplomatic demands. However, they added that underlying disagreements, especially over enrichment limits, inspections and sanctions relief, remain complicating factors.
Iran’s stance on enrichment has broader implications for regional security, with Gulf Arab states and Israel watching developments closely. Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasised that any Iranian path to nuclear weapons capability would be unacceptable, though they endorse continued diplomatic and economic pressure.
The international atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), continues to monitor Iran’s nuclear facilities, but access and transparency issues have periodically strained the agency’s ability to verify compliance.
With negotiations ongoing and geopolitical tensions persisting, Amir-Abdollahian’s comments underscore the delicate balance between diplomatic engagement and strategic leverage in efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program without triggering further instability.
Originally Published By: Reuters
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