Iran will not back down on nuclear rights, says Foreign Minister

Doha, May 11 (IANS) Iran will not back down on its nuclear rights in the negotiations with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, a day ahead of their fourth round of the indirect talks in Oman.

Speaking at the fourth Arab-Iranian Dialogue Conference in Doha on Saturday, Araghchi reiterated that Iran has always been a committed member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation and maintains its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are not seeking nuclear weapons, and weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security doctrine," he affirmed.

"For this reason, we were among the initiators of the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the West Asian region."

Araghchi stressed that Iran continues to engage in talks with the US, as well as other countries, in good faith.

"If the goal of these negotiations is to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, this is entirely achievable, and an agreement is well within reach," he said.

However, if the goal is to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights or impose other unrealistic demands, Iran will not retreat from any of these rights, he added.

Iran has repeatedly said its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable and has ruled out a "zero enrichment" demand by some US officials.

But US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said in an interview on Friday that Iran's "enrichment facilities have to be dismantled" under any accord with the US.

Trump, who withdrew Washington from a 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers meant to curb its nuclear activity, has threatened to bomb Iran if no new deal is reached to resolve the long-unresolved dispute.

Western countries say Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran accelerated after the US walkout from the now moribund 2015 accord, is geared toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes.

However, Tehran regularly threatens to flatten Israeli cities and is currently enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian use.

"In its indirect talks with the US, Iran emphasises its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and clearly declares that it is not seeking nuclear weapons," Araghchi claimed.

"Iran continues negotiations in good faith, and if the goal of these talks is to ensure the non-acquisition of nuclear weapons, an agreement is possible. However, if the aim is to limit Iran’s nuclear rights, Iran will never retreat from its rights."

Witkoff was set to travel to Oman on Sunday for the fourth round of Omani-mediated talks with Araghchi, a source familiar with the matter said.

The fourth round of negotiations, initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons".

Araghchi visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday, a day before the fourth round of negotiations and days before Trump is expected to visit those countries.

Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16 on his first major Middle East trip of his second term.

The US President is not expected to visit Israel on the trip.

Trump provoked Araghchi's ire earlier this month by indicating that the US would decide how to call the Persian Gulf, following reports that Washington could officially rename it the Gulf of Arabia.

Araghchi condemned the decision as showing "hostile intent toward Iran and its people".

Iranian and US delegations have held three rounds of indirect talks so far -- the first and third in Muscat, capital of Oman on April 12 and April 26, and the second in Italy's Rome on April 19.

--IANS

int/khz