Iran Says Uranium Enrichment is a Right, Levels Can be Negotiated

JAKARTA - The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that Tehran's right to enrich uranium is "undeniable" even though the enrichment level is "negotiable."

In a weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy cannot be "taken away under pressure or through war."

"Regarding the level and type of enrichment, we have always stated that this issue can be negotiated. We have emphasized that Iran must be able to continue enrichment according to its needs," he explained, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (16/4).

Iran's nuclear program was reportedly one of the topics discussed in peace talks with the United States that ended in a stalemate in Pakistan over the weekend. It was held after the two countries agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week, easing tensions in the Middle East following the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.

Launching Al Arabiya from The Associated Press, the Trump administration said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is the main goal of the war. Iran has previously said that they are not developing such weapons but reject restrictions on its nuclear program.

The initial round of talks between the two countries last weekend in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran's nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point.

However, an Iranian diplomatic official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the closed talks, denied that negotiations had failed because of Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Separately, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Wednesday stressed the need for a thorough verification of Iran's nuclear program and that such steps should be included in the potential Washington-Tehran deal.