Iran's parliament insists on enriching uranium above 20% amid negotiations with the US 21 May 2025

The Iranian Parliament issued a strong statement on Wednesday defending the country's nuclear program, stating that Tehran's right to enrich uranium, including to levels above 20%, is non-negotiable. This is reported by the Iran International TV channel, reports UNN.

Details

The parliament's statement followed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's skepticism on Tuesday about the success of ongoing indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. It came hours after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had not yet decided whether to participate in the next round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States.

We are still assessing whether it is worth participating. Uranium enrichment will continue "with or without an agreement", and Western countries should lift the unfair sanctions applied to Iran.

Khamenei, who has the last word on state matters, warned on Tuesday that the outcome of diplomatic efforts remains unclear.

The parliament's statement, read by Mohammad Rashidi, a member of the parliament's presidium, states that Iran's enrichment levels will not be limited below 20% and will be determined by the country's domestic needs.

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The importance of nuclear technologies for non-military purposes, such as medicine, agriculture, energy and desalination, is also emphasized.

Lawmakers said Iran's nuclear activities are fully in line with its rights under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, calling any renunciation of the program a "betrayal of national interests and the country's future."

Addition

Iran is the only state that does not possess nuclear weapons, but enriches uranium to a purity of 60% - a level that, according to the UN nuclear observer, has no reliable civilian application and is technically close to 90% of fissile material.

Let us remind

Earlier, Iran told the United States of its readiness to accept some restrictions on uranium enrichment. It also voiced a demand for clear guarantees against re-withdrawal from the agreement and insists on the lifting of sanctions.