Iranupdated 1h ago3 min read
Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Over Zero Uranium Enrichment, Says Enriched Uranium Stays In Iran
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Iran rejects ceasefire concessions, insisting enriched uranium remains in Iran. Indirect U.S.-Iran talks on a ceasefire continue amid nuclear-term deadlock.
Al Jazeera was read line by line by the Watchdog: 2.3. See the score →
Uranium Blocks Ceasefire
Iran’s nuclear programme has re-emerged as a central stumbling block in US talks aimed at ending the United States-Israel war on Iran, with Tehran and Washington disagreeing over uranium enrichment as a ceasefire remains elusive. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei told visiting Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir that “even a particle of enriched uranium will not exit Iran at all,” describing the material as a major national asset for domestic use. US President Donald Trump pressed for “zero uranium enrichment,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated a pledge to topple the Iranian government as key to preventing nuclear weapons development.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect negotiations with the U.S. continue over a seven-day ceasefire proposal, even as the U.S. seeks new clauses. The June Memorandum of Understanding signed between the US and Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz as a focus, but the nuclear issue could not be thrashed out within the stipulated 60-day period.
Threats, Mediation, and Talks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected claims that the U.S. could attack Iran without retaliation, saying “If our response is not stronger, it will certainly be equal.” Baghaei also warned that Iran remained prepared for another Israeli attack, saying “We live with this possibility and face it day and night,” while pointing to the continuing U.S. naval blockade and threats against Iran. The U.S. and Iran continued indirect negotiations, but the dispute over enrichment remained unresolved as analysts cited differing interpretations of the MoU clauses that caused it to fall apart.
Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir met Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei in Tehran, and Rezaei said negotiations with the U.S. would not begin until Washington fulfilled trust-building measures. In parallel, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any interference in the Yemen war by Egypt or any other country would make the situation “more difficult,” while Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Cairo’s proposed military support for Riyadh was to “defend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen.”
What Comes Next
Iran insisted that diplomacy depends on U.S. steps that include lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, waiving sanctions, and releasing frozen Iranian assets, while Iran promised to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in the Financial Times that “Iran is prepared to give diplomacy another chance if we see strong evidence of a sincere desire on the part of the U.S. to achieve a just and honourable solution to permanently end this conflict.” The dispute over enrichment also shaped military posture, as Major General Ali Abdollahi highlighted the expansion of the Army’s drone manufacturing capabilities and said Iran would respond to future aggression with asymmetric capabilities.
Abdollahi warned that if Iran came under attack again, it would deploy a broad range of less expensive systems to make military operations more costly and difficult for its adversaries. As the standoff continued, the Strait of Hormuz remained a focal point for both sides, with the June Memorandum of Understanding and Iran’s seven-day plan tied to reopening the waterway under conditions that Tehran said the U.S. must first meet.