Intro: Iran insists it will not stop uranium enrichment despite US military threats and ongoing economic sanctions
Tehran
Iran has ruled out giving up uranium enrichment in its talks with the United States, despite rising tensions in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that US military actions, including the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, do not scare Tehran.
Araghchi spoke at a forum in Tehran, emphasizing that Iran has little trust in Washington. He expressed doubt that the US is taking renewed negotiations seriously. On February 6, the two countries resumed talks in Oman for the first time since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June 2025.
Iran is also consulting with its “strategic partners” China and Russia about the negotiations. “We refuse to give up enrichment, even if war is imposed on us,” Araghchi said. He added that no country has the right to dictate Iran’s policies.
The Iranian government is seeking relief from US economic sanctions. Araghchi suggested this could involve “a series of confidence-building measures” concerning Iran’s nuclear program. Western nations and Israel suspect Iran wants to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran denies this. “Our atomic bomb is the power to say ‘no’ to the great powers,” Araghchi said.
The US and Israel want the talks to include Iran’s ballistic missiles and regional support for armed groups, which Iran refuses. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln last Saturday. Witkoff said the carrier is “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength.”
Even as President Trump called the talks “very good” and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said they are a “step forward,” the threat of war looms. Following the talks, the US imposed fresh tariffs on countries trading with Iran and announced sanctions on shipping entities, aiming to curb Iranian oil exports.
Araghchi concluded that ongoing sanctions and military actions raise doubts about the US’s seriousness in pursuing genuine negotiations.