Iran rejects US demand and claims that zero enrichment makes a nuclear deal unviable.
Persian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi criticizes Donald Trump's stance and says diplomacy is the way to resolve the nuclear impasse.
247 - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded to recent threats from US President Donald Trump, ruling out any possibility of an agreement if Washington maintains its demand for "zero enrichment" in Tehran's nuclear program. The statement was made in a message posted on his X account on Monday, on the eve of the fifth round of indirect negotiations between the two countries, scheduled for May 23 in Rome.
The coverage comes from the HispanTV network, which highlights the Iranian diplomat's firm response to US pressure. Araqchi recalled that, even before the meetings with the US representative, Steve Witkoff, he had already warned that "zero nuclear weapons is acceptable, but zero enrichment is not."
Critique of Washington's policy
The Iranian minister accused the White House of repeating historical mistakes and insisting on miscalculations. According to him, if Donald Trump reviewed the official records of previous negotiations, "he would see how close we came to reaching a new historic nuclear agreement."
Araqchi compared Washington's current policy to the failed invasion of Iraq in 2003, recalling that "there was never any real intelligence" about weapons of mass destruction. "What there was was destruction, thousands of American soldiers killed, and seven trillion dollars wasted," he emphasized.
External pressures and Iranian resistance
The diplomat also accused the Israeli regime of trying to create "an imaginary threat" regarding Iran's defensive capabilities, after failing to provoke an attack against the Iranian people. He reinforced the position that Tehran will not relinquish its sovereignty and nuclear rights for peaceful purposes.
“Iran is a great nation, heir to an ancient civilization,” Araqchi said. “Buildings may be destroyed, but the determination of the Iranian people will never be broken.”
A path through diplomacy.
Despite the criticism, the foreign minister reaffirmed his willingness to seek a peaceful solution. "There is no solution other than a negotiated outcome," he declared, reinforcing that diplomacy remains the only viable path to resolving the nuclear differences between Tehran and Washington.
With the new round of negotiations in Rome, the Iranian position makes it clear that the American demand for "zero enrichment" is seen as an insurmountable obstacle, while the Trump administration maintains pressure amid a backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
