Iran may accept temporary limits on peaceful nuclear technology to build trust, says Iran’s foreign ministry

Nuclear talks between the United States and Iran have reached an impasse, as Washington insists that Tehran fully halt its uranium enrichment, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Japan’s Kyodo news agency.

“The main obstacle remains the United States’ unwillingness to acknowledge Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment, as guaranteed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we agreed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67 percent and for 15 years — not forever. The only thing we are willing to accept permanently is Iran’s obligation never to develop nuclear weapons,” Araghchi stated.

Araghchi added that Iran may agree to temporary restrictions on the peaceful use of nuclear technology as a confidence-building measure.

“However, these limitations would apply only for a specific period, not indefinitely, because we cannot make decisions on behalf of future generations. A framework that recognizes Iran’s right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, is acceptable to us, and we are ready to build confidence around it. We could even agree to monitoring mechanisms beyond those required by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Araghchi stated.