Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran cannot abandon uranium enrichment

(Patria) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot abandon its uranium enrichment program, which was severely damaged during the Israeli-Iranian war last month, Reuters reported.

Before the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman, but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to a level for rapid production of nuclear weapons, while Tehran claims the enrichment program is for civilian purposes only.

"It has stopped because, yes, the damage is serious and severe. But obviously, we cannot abandon enrichment because it is an achievement of our scientists. And now, more than that, it is a matter of national pride," the Foreign Minister said on Fox News on Monday.

Araghchi said the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities after the US and Israeli attacks is serious and is being further assessed.

He also said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is "in good health" and that Iran is open to talks with Washington, but that they "will not be direct for now".

Israel attacked Iran on June 13, and the Middle Eastern rivals then engaged in a twelve-day war in which Washington bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached at the end of June.

Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The United Nations nuclear watchdog says there are "no credible indications" of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran. Iran claims its nuclear program is exclusively civilian.
Israel is the only Middle Eastern country believed to possess nuclear weapons and has said its war against Iran was aimed at preventing Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.