Iran has restated its position on uranium enrichment amid renewed diplomatic contacts with Washington and fresh warnings from US President Donald Trump about potential military action.
Speaking in remarks published by Etemad daily, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said enrichment forms the core of the country’s nuclear industry and is essential to the production of nuclear fuel. He stated that Iran’s programme is proceeding within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency and described enrichment as a right linked to peaceful nuclear technology.
His comments followed a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington held in Geneva on Tuesday, mediated by Oman. The discussions come after an earlier meeting on 6 February in Oman, marking the first such engagement since negotiations collapsed during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June, in which the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump reiterated the possibility of military measures in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the same message, he referred to the strategic importance of the Diego Garcia airbase in the Chagos Islands, suggesting it could be required if no agreement were reached with Tehran.
Washington has continued to call for the complete cessation of Iran’s enrichment activities and has also sought to address Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and its regional alliances. Western governments have long alleged that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capability, an accusation Iranian officials deny, maintaining that their nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.
In parallel with the diplomatic exchanges, the United States has increased its naval presence in the region. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Gulf in January, and Mr Trump has indicated that the USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for the Middle East shortly.
Iranian naval forces have this week conducted exercises in the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, joint naval drills involving Iran and Russia were under way in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean on Thursday.
