‘No one has the right to dictate’: Iran defies US threats, won’t abandon uranium enrichment

Iran holds firm on uranium enrichment after US talks

Iran will not abandon uranium enrichment despite US threats of war, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, striking a defiant tone as Tehran and Washington resume indirect nuclear talks in Oman.

Speaking at a forum in Tehran, Araghchi said Iran had little trust in the United States and questioned Washington’s seriousness in negotiations, despite what both sides described as a “good start” to talks held on Friday.

“Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour,” he said, adding that US military deployments in the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, “do not scare us.”

Araghchi warned that continued sanctions and military pressure cast doubt on the US commitment to diplomacy, stressing that any dialogue must be free of threats. He reiterated that Iran’s nuclear programme was peaceful, dismissing Western accusations that Tehran seeks an atomic weapon.

“They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers,” he said.

The comments come as US President Donald Trump warned of “very steep” consequences if talks fail, even as he described the Oman discussions as “very good.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the negotiations “a step forward,” but acknowledged challenges ahead. It remains unclear when the next round of talks will take place, with Iran saying further engagement depends on signals from Washington and an end to military pressure.