DOHA — Iran will not back down on its
nuclear rights in the negotiations with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed
Abbas Araghchi said, a day ahead of their fourth round of the indirect talks in
Oman.
Speaking at the fourth Arab-Iranian Dialogue Conference in
Doha on Saturday, Araghchi reiterated that Iran has always been a committed
member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation and maintains its right to the peaceful
use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment, Xinhua news agency
reported.
"We are not seeking nuclear weapons, and weapons of
mass destruction have no place in Iran's security doctrine," he affirmed.
"For this reason, we were among the initiators of the
creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the West Asian region."
Araghchi stressed that Iran continues to engage in talks
with the US, as well as other countries, in good faith.
"If the goal of these negotiations is to ensure that
Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, this is entirely achievable, and an
agreement is well within reach," he said.
However, if the goal is to deprive Iran of its nuclear
rights or impose other unrealistic demands, Iran will not retreat from any of
these rights, he added.
Iran has repeatedly said its right to enrich uranium is
non-negotiable and has ruled out a "zero enrichment" demand by some
US officials.
But US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve
Witkoff, said in an interview on Friday that Iran's "enrichment facilities
have to be dismantled" under any accord with the US.
Trump, who withdrew Washington from a 2015 deal between
Tehran and world powers meant to curb its nuclear activity, has threatened to
bomb Iran if no new deal is reached to resolve the long-unresolved dispute.
Western countries say Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran
accelerated after the US walkout from the now moribund 2015 accord, is geared
toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian
purposes.
However, Tehran regularly threatens to flatten Israeli
cities and is currently enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian use.
"In its indirect talks with the US, Iran emphasises its
right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and clearly declares that it is not
seeking nuclear weapons," Araghchi claimed.
"Iran continues negotiations in good faith, and if the
goal of these talks is to ensure the non-acquisition of nuclear weapons, an
agreement is possible. However, if the aim is to limit Iran’s nuclear rights,
Iran will never retreat from its rights."
Witkoff was set to travel to Oman on Sunday for the fourth
round of Omani-mediated talks with Araghchi, a source familiar with the matter
said.
The fourth round of negotiations, initially scheduled for
May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical
reasons".
Araghchi visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday, a day
before the fourth round of negotiations and days before Trump is expected to
visit those countries.
Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16 on his first major Middle East trip of
his second term.
The US President is not expected to visit Israel on the
trip.
Trump provoked Araghchi's ire earlier this month by
indicating that the US would decide how to call the Persian Gulf, following
reports that Washington could officially rename it the Gulf of Arabia.
Araghchi condemned the decision as showing "hostile
intent toward Iran and its people".
Iranian and US delegations have held three rounds of
indirect talks so far -- the first and third in Muscat, capital of Oman on
April 12 and April 26, and the second in Italy's Rome on April 19.
