Iran Insists on No Compromise, Won’t Shutter Nuclear Sites After U.S. Talks

Four rounds of talks with a team of American diplomats have done nothing to soften Iran’s position on ending its illicit nuclear weapons development, Iranian officials insisted on Thursday. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has led the delegation to Oman-mediated talks with Washington for the past month, eliminated the possibility on Thursday that Iran will stop enriching uranium, a core demand of the administration of President Donald Trump for any agreement to lift sanctions on the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism. Tehran insists that it has a “right” to generate highly-enriched uranium as part of its “peaceful” nuclear program, while American officials have pointed out that no peaceful nuclear states have programs that enrich to the capacity that Iran has and that uranium of such highly enriched quality is not necessary to run nuclear power plants — its only use would be in developing a bomb.

Nonetheless, Araghchi insisted, according to the Iranian state propaganda outlet PressTV, that enrichment is a “right of the Iranian people” that the Islamist regime will not compromise on.

“Defending the rights of the Iranian people in the nuclear field, including [uranium] enrichment, is one of these principles and rights of the people that we will not compromise on,” the foreign minister declared, “neither in the media nor at the negotiation table. This is the right of the Iranian people, and no one can deny it.” Araghchi made similar remarks last week before the latest round of negotiations with the U.S., led by Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. “Enrichment is one of the major achievements and a source of national pride. It has come at a high cost — including the lives of our nuclear scientists. It is absolutely non-negotiable,” he stated.  (Ed note: Anyone else hear the jet engines of those B-2 bombers warming up?)  (Read More)