Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has revealed insider information about a negotiation between Tehran and Washington over the Middle Eastern country handing over 440 kilograms of enriched uranium 48 hours before the US-Israel military strikes started.
Araghchi’s comments came during an interview with CBS, where he was questioned about informing interlocutors during a meeting about the presence of the nuclear material in Iran during talks in Geneva on 26 February.
At the time, he said Iran was ready to give the nuclear material away, which was mentioned in the deal presented to US Vice President JD Vance by Oman.
Talking about the offer by Oman, Araghchi said that it was one of the elements in the then-ongoing talks with the US.
“That was one of the elements of a deal that we were negotiating with our American interlocutors. That element dealt with the question of Iran’s 60% enriched material,” the Iranian foreign minister said in the interview.
Abbas Araghchi reveals insider details
Revealing further about the deal, Abbas Araghchi described Iran’s offer as a “big concession”.
“I said, I offered, actually, that we are ready to dilute those enriched material or downblend them, as they say, into lower percentage,” he said.
The Iranian foreign minister noted that his country’s offer was to prove that it never wanted nuclear weapons.
“So that was a big offer, a big concession, in order to prove that Iran has never wanted nuclear weapons and would never want them,” Araghchi said.
Nothing on table now
On being asked about whether Iran is willing right now to give up the 440 kg nuclear material, Abbas Araghchi answered that nothing of that sort is on the cards right now.
“Well, there is nothing on the table right now. Everything depends on the future,” he said.
However, Araghchi did give hopes of a future where Iran might negotiate with other countries. “If any time in the future we decide to enter into negotiation with the US or other interlocutors, we may decide what to put on the table. For the time being, nothing is on the table,” the foreign minister said.
No ceasefire with US
Abbas Araghchi has denied seeking talks or a ceasefire with the US.
“The reason we say we do not want a ceasefire is not because we are seeking war, but because this time this war must end in such a way that our enemies never again think of repeating these attacks,” Araghchi said at a media briefing on Monday. “I think they have already learned a good lesson and understood what kind of nation they are dealing with.”
US President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s military actions against Iran, even as the move has puzzled some of the GOP’s “America First” wing and contributed to rising gas prices.
Trump has argued the actions are justified, stating that Iran has been creating problems for the United States for nearly half a century.
US Vice President JD Vance said he agreed with Donald Trump that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons and that the recent military action was carried out under the president’s leadership.
“I agree with the President that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. We took this military action under the President’s leadership. All of us – whether a democrat or republican – should pray for the success and safety of our troops,” he said.
- Iran was willing to negotiate the transfer of enriched uranium as a means to prove its non-aggression regarding nuclear weapons.
- The timing of the offer raises questions about the diplomatic strategies employed by both Iran and the US.
- Future negotiations between Iran and the US may still be possible, depending on the geopolitical landscape.
