TEHRAN- Iran will not agree to halt uranium enrichment as a result of ongoing talks with the United States, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman declared to the Tehran Times, following Reuters' report suggesting Iran might consider the move in exchange for the unfreezing of billions of its assets held by the U.S.

“This report is simply false and fictitious,” Esmaeil Baqaei said in remarks to the Tehran Times. “Enrichment is an integral part of our peaceful nuclear program, which stems from our inalienable right under the NPT and is also enshrined in UNSC Resolution 2231.”

Iran and the U.S. have held five rounds of indirect negotiations since April. The talks aim to limit Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the termination of sanctions. 

For decades, Iranians have maintained that they will never cease uranium enrichment and that any agreement on their nuclear program must respect this principle. However, the Trump administration has expressed contradictory positions—at times stating that their sole concern is preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and at others insisting that enrichment must stop altogether.

Analysts believe that pressure on Iran to halt uranium enrichment could ultimately lead to the collapse of the negotiations.

By Mona Hojat Ansari