TEHRAN: Iran on Monday said it was open to establishing a regional nuclear fuel consortium, reiterating that it would not stop enriching uranium.

Tehran and Washing­ton have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between the two foes since the United States abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord. US officials have recently voiced strong opposition to Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, while Tehran has repeatedly insisted that it was “non-negotiable”.

Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States “will lead nowhere” if Washington insists that Tehran drop its uranium enrichment activity to zero, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi was quoted by state media on Monday as saying.

International media, including The Guardian and The New York Times, have in recent days reported that Iran floated the idea of forming a regional consortium to enrich uranium. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denied that Iran had proposed the idea but said it was floated in the past by several countries, without elaborating.

“One of the justifications (for such a proposal) is that the Middle East region and the Persian Gulf countries may need nuclear power and would like to build new power plants, and these power plants require nuclear fuel,” said Baqaei during a weekly press briefing.

Tehran asserts talks will fail if US pushes for zero enrichment

“If such an initiative is proposed, we would welcome it and could also participate in it, but it should be noted that such an initiative is in no way intended to replace Iran’s uranium enrichment programme,” he added.

On Tuesday, The New York Times quoted four anonymous Iranian officials as saying that Tehran had proposed “a joint nuclear-enrichment venture involving regional Arab countries and American investments”.

The venture would serve “as an alternative to Was­hington’s demand that it dismantle its nuclear programme”, it added.

‘With or without a deal’

On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would continue enrichment “with or without a deal” after US negotiator Steve Witkoff said Washington “cannot allow even one per cent of an enrichment capability”. Witkoff reiterated Washington’s stance that any new deal between the US and Iran must include an agreement to refrain from enrichment, a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs.

“Our position on enrichment is clear and we have repeatedly stated that it is a national achievement from which we will not back down,” Takhtravanchi said.

Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60pc, far above the 3.67pc limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90pc needed for a nuclear warhead.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025