Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday that Tehran would continue enriching uranium, irrespective of whether a new nuclear agreement is reached with global powers.
Posting on X, Araghchi stated: “If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome.” However, he added emphatically: “Enrichment in Iran… will continue with or without a deal.”
Currently, Iran reportedly enriches uranium to 60 percent purity — significantly above the 3.67 percent cap agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal, but still short of the 90 percent level required for nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and solely intended for civilian use.
The Islamic Republic insists its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, though it has signalled willingness to accept temporary limits on the quantity and enrichment levels under a renewed agreement.
Last week, the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency, Mohammad Eslami, reiterated that the country does not seek nuclear armament, adding that Iran’s enrichment activities remain under the supervision of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. “The dismantling of enrichment is not accepted by Iran,” he asserted.
Araghchi also expressed openness to improving ties with Europe, saying Iran was ready to rebuild trust if European nations showed an “independent approach” and a genuine will to engage.
“If Europe possesses the necessary will to rectify this path, Iran sees no obstacle to rebuilding mutual trust and expanding relations,” he told a diplomatic gathering in Tehran.
His comments follow meetings on Friday between Iranian diplomats and officials from Britain, France, and Germany to discuss the stalled nuclear negotiations.
The 2015 nuclear deal — also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — was effectively dismantled in 2018 when then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran began reducing its compliance with the deal’s terms.
Now, the European signatories — Britain, France and Germany — are weighing whether to invoke the agreement’s “snapback” mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran due to its non-compliance. The deadline to trigger this provision is set to expire in October.
Earlier this month, Araghchi warned that such a move would lead to “irreversible” consequences. He had previously expressed interest in visiting London, Paris, and Berlin to discuss the nuclear issue, as well as other matters of shared concern.
In his speech on Sunday, Araghchi urged European governments to shift focus from disagreements to mutual interests. He also called for a stronger European role in facilitating nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States.
“We want Europe to play its role, even if it has minimised its own role,” he was quoted as saying by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
The ongoing discussions, mediated by Oman, aim to broker a fresh agreement that would lift US sanctions in return for verifiable restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme. On the sidelines of the forum in Tehran, Araghchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
Oman later confirmed that talks focused on “ways of reaching the desired agreement between the United States and Iran.”
