By Sama Marwan,
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, just two days ahead of the scheduled talks between Tehran and Washington on Saturday, that Iran must halt uranium enrichment under any agreement with the United States, and it will only be allowed to import the materials necessary for a purely civilian nuclear program.
According to NBC News, Iran has already made it clear that its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable. When asked about Rubio’s comments, a senior Iranian official close to the negotiation team said:
“Zero enrichment is completely unacceptable.”
The United States aims to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Former President Donald Trump had imposed a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign and threatened military force unless Iran stopped its nuclear program.
On the other hand, Iran has denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, stressing that its nuclear program is purely peaceful. American and Iranian officials are set to meet in Oman on Saturday for a third round of talks over the disputed Iranian nuclear program.
Rubio said on the podcast “Honestly with Bari Weiss” on Tuesday:
“There is a way for a peaceful, civilian nuclear program if they want that. But if they insist on enrichment, they would be the only country in the world without a weapons program… that still enriches. So I think that raises serious concerns.”
Last week, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said that Iran does not need enrichment beyond 3.67%, a statement that raised questions about whether Washington still demands Tehran dismantle its enrichment program. The next day, Witkoff clarified that Iran must “halt and eliminate its nuclear enrichment.”
Rubio explained on Tuesday that Witkoff was initially referring to the level of enriched materials Iran would be allowed to import, as many countries do for their peaceful nuclear energy programs.
He added:
“If Iran wants a civilian nuclear program, they can have one, just like many other countries in the world — by importing enriched material.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran is rapidly accelerating uranium enrichment to levels of up to 60% purity, which is close to the 90% needed for weapons-grade material.
Western countries affirm that such high-level enrichment is not required for civilian uses, and that no other country has ever enriched to that level without producing nuclear weapons.
