Iran: "No Objection to Nuclear Talks with U.S. ... Uranium Enrichment Halt Not Acceptable"

Iran Emphasizes Right to Uranium Enrichment
No Confirmed Schedule for Talks with the U.S.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior advisor on international affairs to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on July 14 (local time) that he would not oppose nuclear negotiations with the United States. However, he emphasized that any negotiations must respect Iran's right to enrich uranium. He made it clear that while he does not reject the idea of nuclear talks with the United States itself, he will insist on the recognition of Iran's right to uranium enrichment as a key condition.

According to the state news agency IRNA, Senior Advisor Velayati said during a meeting with Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's Minister of Interior, in Tehran that day, "We do not oppose negotiations (with the United States) that proceed without preconditions and respect Iran's red lines."

He added, "They say Iran must abandon uranium enrichment, but this is one of our red lines," and stressed that if negotiations are conditioned on halting enrichment, such talks will not take place.

This suggests a strategic calculation to leave the door open for negotiations with the United States while maintaining the core of Iran's nuclear program. In effect, this position is far from the 'complete elimination of the Iranian nuclear threat' demanded by the United States and other Western countries, making it unlikely that the United States will accept these terms.

Senior Advisor Velayati's remarks came after Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that no schedule had been set for talks with the United States.

At a regular press briefing that day, Spokesperson Baghaei said regarding the planned meeting between Stephen Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, "At present, no specific date, time, or location has been determined regarding this issue."

Special Envoy Witkoff and Minister Araqchi had held five rounds of indirect negotiations since April, mediated by Oman, in an effort to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program. However, the talks were suspended after war broke out 12 days ago due to an Israeli attack on Iran.

Since the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect on June 24, it has been reported that Special Envoy Witkoff and Minister Araqchi have continued unofficial contacts behind the scenes to resume nuclear negotiations.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed during the Barack Obama administration in 2015, limited Iran's nuclear fuel reprocessing and the level of uranium enrichment, but did not completely ban enrichment activities themselves.

However, during the first Trump administration in 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and fully reinstated economic sanctions against Iran. After the start of the second administration, President Trump demanded a complete halt to uranium enrichment and conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month.