President Donald Trump on Monday evening looked to reaffirm his administration’s position when it comes to nuclear negotiations with Iran and said Tehran will not be allowed ‘any enrichment of uranium.’
His message, which surfaced on multiple social media platforms, appeared to be a direct response to a report by Axios which cited two sources with ‘direct knowledge’ of a secret proposal that Washington provided to Tehran, allegedly said the U.S. would agree to permit ‘limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time.’
Fox News Digital could not independently verify the details of the proposal, but if the decision to grant Tehran some uranium enrichment were granted, it would directly contradict public comments issued by lead negotiator Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not agree to a uranium enrichment ban, arguing it has the right to the process, which is also vital for nuclear energy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Monday reiterated this point in a press conference from Egypt, and, according to the Tasnim News Agency, said he plans to respond to the U.S. proposal soon.
Araqchi did not comment on the specifics of the agreement but said his ‘response will be based on the principles of the Iranian nation.’
The proposal also reportedly included the notion that Iran could join a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, as a solution to its enrichment needs. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Monday reportedly argued that this was not a new solution, nor an adequate substitute.
‘If some parties are proposing such a process, we welcome it and have no problem with participation either. But we emphasize that such an initiative cannot replace enrichment inside Iran,’ the spokesperson said.
The White House has not said how long it will attempt to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program, as security officials have repeatedly warned that Iran could be playing for time as the threat of U.N. snapback sanctions is set to expire come October.
Iran on Tuesday reiterated that it is not going to abandon negotiations but suggested it would not cave to Washington’s demands either.
‘Iran won’t leave the negotiating table while protecting its national interests,’ a spokesperson for the Iranian government, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said, according to the Tasnim News Agency.
Though she added, ‘All scenarios are on the table. We are prepared for everything.’