Iran piles pressure on US

Iran has reaffirmed its position that it must maintain its own uranium enrichment program for civilian purposes, rejecting a U.S. proposal that Tehran rely solely on imported nuclear fuel.

As a third round of negotiations is set to take place this weekend in Oman, the talks could reach a diplomatic stalemate if Washington refuses to soften its stance.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing for the dismantling of Iran’s current nuclear program, while allowing uranium enrichment only under strict international inspections. These demands echo those made during the 2015 nuclear deal.

“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world,” Rubio said this week on The Free Press podcast.

In response, Iran’s chief negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, emphasized during a visit to China: “If America’s only demand is that Iran not have nuclear weapons, this is an achievable demand. But if it insists on impractical and illogical demands, it is natural that we will run into problems.”

(QG - Source: The Guardian — Picture : © Unsplash)