Iran’s foreign minister says a new round of nuclear talks with the US is agreed, while asserting enrichment as an “inalienable right” and warning against attacks.
TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has announced that Tehran and Washington have agreed to hold a fresh round of nuclear talks “soon”.
The date for the next meeting remains undetermined following discussions in Muscat on Friday.
Araghchi described the initial talks, held via Omani mediation, as “a good start”.
He insisted, however, that “there is a long way to go to build trust”.
During an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi firmly stated that nuclear enrichment is Iran’s “inalienable right and must continue”.
“We are ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment,” he added.
The minister warned that Iran “will attack their (US) bases in the region” if Washington targets Iranian territory.
He also declared that Iran’s missile programme is “never negotiable” because it relates to a “defence issue”.
Friday’s negotiations were the first since previous nuclear talks collapsed last year.
That breakdown followed Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran, which triggered a 12-day war.
During that conflict, US warplanes bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
“The Iranian nuclear case will only be resolved through negotiations,” Araghchi asserted.
The United States has sought to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its regional activities.
Tehran has repeatedly rejected expanding the negotiations beyond the nuclear issue.
