Iran’s nuclear chief said on Saturday that indirect negotiations with the United States have made “some progress,” but dismissed any demand to eliminate uranium enrichment as “a disturbed dream” meant for Israeli audiences.
“Talk of zero enrichment is mostly for the Zionist community,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami said during a visit to northern Iran. “These are rumors with no bearing on the realities of the talks.”
The fifth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington took place last week in Rome, part of ongoing efforts mediated by Oman since April.
Eslami said Iran remains committed to expanding its nuclear energy program, including new reactors and domestic production of radiopharmaceuticals. He emphasized that the program is peaceful and transparent, despite what he called foreign pressure.
Tehran signals no retreat on enrichment
Echoing that stance, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier on Saturday that uranium enrichment has always been a red line for Iran. “The right to enrichment is tied to rejecting domination — no one in Iran will accept being told we don’t have this right,” he said during a visit to Ruhollah Khomeini's mausoleum. Araghchi added that Tehran has consistently upheld its position in both past and present negotiations.
Araghchi also repeated that Iran considers nuclear weapons religiously and strategically unacceptable. “We’ve always been a standard-bearer of nuclear disarmament,” he said, accusing Western nuclear states of failing to uphold their obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
MPs say enrichment is non-negotiable
In parliament, lawmakers are voicing firm support for the government’s nuclear position. “The negotiating team has moved forward well within the defined red lines,” said Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security and foreign policy committee. “Enrichment is a foundational right — we’ve never negotiated over the principle of enrichment, and we won’t.”
Mehdi Esmaeili, a conservative MP from Miyaneh, also warned that “external pressure will never force Iran to retreat from its rights.” He said Iran’s pursuit of a full nuclear fuel cycle is “a strategic goal of the revolution” and rooted in national consensus.
Trump: Iran deal could happen soon
At the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he believed a deal with Iran could be reached “in the not-too-distant future.” He argued that Iran “does not want to be blown up” and would prefer to resolve the standoff diplomatically.
“If we can have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East, that would be a very good thing,” Trump told reporters. “We want them to have a successful, safe nation — but they cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple. And I think we’re fairly close.”
