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Iran Reaffirms Uranium Enrichment Plans as U.S. Sticks to 'Red Line'

Tehran vows to continue enrichment with or without a deal, while Washington insists on dismantlement in stalled nuclear negotiations.

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with teachers, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 17, 2025.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (left) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Photos by Evelyn Hockstein and Amer Hilabi/AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff looks on during his swearing-in ceremony of in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

Overview

  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that uranium enrichment will persist regardless of any agreement with the U.S., framing it as a non-negotiable right under international law.
  • U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated that any nuclear deal must eliminate Iran's enrichment capability, calling it a 'very clear red line' tied to preventing weaponization.
  • President Trump claimed the U.S. has presented a formal proposal to Iran, though Tehran denies receiving it and criticizes contradictory American messaging.
  • Iran continues enriching uranium to 60%, far exceeding the 2015 nuclear deal limits but below weapons-grade levels, while asserting its program is for peaceful purposes.
  • Four rounds of mediated talks have yet to resolve core disputes, with both sides preparing for further negotiations under Omani facilitation.