Iran is willing to consider compromises in its nuclear program during negotiations with the United States, though uranium enrichment will not be a subject of negotiation, according to Tehran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson. The spokesperson indicated to CNN that Washington understands this firm position.
“If the intention is to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program would not be weaponized, I think that’s something that we could simply do,” stated Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in Tehran on Monday. When asked by CNN about the potential for compromise during the talks, Baghaei suggested “so many ways” exist without elaborating on specifics.
However, he emphasized that Iran’s right to nuclear energy would have to be upheld, reiterating Iran’s consistent stance in past negotiations. “If the (US’) intention is to deprive Iranians of their right to peaceful nuclear energy, I think that would be very problematic to the extent that I think it would really challenge the whole process,” he added.
Following the fifth round of US-Iran talks held in Rome on Friday, President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday regarding the progress being made. “We had some very good talks with Iran yesterday and today, and let’s see what happens. But I think we could have some good news on the Iran front,” President Trump told reporters in New Jersey as he prepared to return to Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the latest round of negotiations as “one of the most professional rounds of negotiations” to date, but cautioned that the core issues remain “too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.”
While the Trump administration has maintained a strong stance demanding that Tehran cease all uranium enrichment, which is critical for both civilian and military nuclear applications, Baghaei suggested that the behavior of US negotiators in the talks indicates a more moderate approach. “The fact that so far we have continued our talks means that we understand there is a certain level of understanding that Iran cannot under any circumstances give up its right to peaceful nuclear energy,” he said.
In March, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reported that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium had increased by 50% in the preceding three months. “Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to this level, causing me serious concern,” Grossi stated at the time.
Despite the cautious optimism expressed by the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson and President Trump, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly downplayed the likelihood of a deal and issued a provocative message to US negotiators ahead of Friday’s talks. “Try not to talk nonsense,” he urged in a statement attributed to him on his official website last week.
Nevertheless, Baghaei remained optimistic about the prospects of a US-Iranian agreement, envisioning a “win-win” outcome for both nations. “If really there is a will, there’s ways,” he asserted. “There is not only one way, there are so many ways.”
Last week, multiple American officials informed CNN that the US had obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel was preparing to potentially strike Iranian nuclear facilities, even as the Trump administration pursued diplomatic engagement with Tehran. In response to the possibility of unilateral Israeli military action against Iran, Baghaei affirmed Iran’s resolve. “Iranians would not be conducive to any sort of pressure,” he stated. “When it comes to using that language, Iranians will come with one voice, and we will certainly defend our national security.”
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