Iran says US did not ask it to abandon uranium enrichment

Trump gives Iran ultimatum of up to 15 days to accept nuclear deal The United States did not ask Iran to abandon uranium enrichment during negotiations held on Tuesday (17) in Geneva, with the mediation of Oman, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “We did not propose any suspension, and the United States did not ask for zero enrichment,” said Araghchi in an interview with the American channel MSNBC, broadcast this Friday (20). According to the chancellor, the next step that Iran will have to take will be to present a draft of a possible agreement to Washington “in the next two or three days.” “What we’re talking about now is how to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program, including nuclear enrichment, [de urânio]be peaceful and remain peaceful forever,” explained Araghchi. Donald Trump and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP 🔍 Uranium enrichment is an industrial process that increases the concentration of a specific type of uranium atom — uranium-235 (U-235) — so that it can be used as nuclear fuel or, at much higher levels, in atomic weapons. When When enriched between 3% and 5%, uranium is used to power nuclear plants to produce electricity. When enrichment is up to 20%, isotopes used, for example, in the diagnosis of some types of cancer can be produced. Above this threshold, enriched uranium can have military applications, according to experts, to manufacture an atomic bomb, it must be enriched to 90%. uranium in Iran, a requirement that Tehran considers a red line in its negotiations over its nuclear program. Last Tuesday, Washington and Tehran concluded a second round of negotiations, mediated by Oman, in the Swiss city of Geneva. The previous round was on February 6, in Oman. It was the first time that representatives from both countries met after the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, in June 2025, in which Washington intervened by bombing the Republic’s nuclear facilities. Islamic. On Thursday (19), Trump suggested that the United States could attack Iran again if Tehran did not reach an agreement with Washington within ten days, later extended to 15. Western countries accuse Iran of wanting to arm itself with nuclear bombs, something that Tehran denies, insisting on its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

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