‘Iran no longer enriching uranium’: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on status of nuclear programme after Israel-US strikes

However, he maintained that Iran has an “undeniable” and “inalienable” right to enrich uranium for peaceful use of nuclear technology, adding that the programme had been halted owing to the strikes carried out during its 12-day war with Tel Aviv.

Araqchi also said Washington’s current approach toward Tehran does not indicate any readiness for “equal and fair negotiations”, after US President Donald Trump hinted last week at potential discussions, news agency Reuters reported.

He made the comments at a conference labelled “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defense,” hosted by Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies. The forum discussed Tehran’s stance in the Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel in June.

June air strikes

In June, amid Tehran’s faltering of nuclear deal negotiations with Washington and Tel Aviv’s war with Hamas — among other Iranian proxies — Israeli airstrikes decimated Iran’s nuclear programme, air defense systems and its military’s chain of command. Later that month, the US also struck three key nuclear sites — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow — what it dubbed “a very successful attack.”

In September, regarding its ambitions, Khamenei said Iran was the only nuclear-capable country not to have developed a bomb, “and we won’t have one”, but maintained that it would not give up on its enrichment capabilities.

Earlier this month, President Masoud Pezeshkian told Iranian state media Tehran will rebuild its nuclear facilities “with greater strength,” following which US President Donald Trump warned he would order fresh attacks the sites should that happen.

Uranium Enrichment

Iran’s nuclear programme has been a major point of contention between Tehran and the West, alongside Tel Aviv, with concerns over nuclear fuel being enriched beyond permissible limits to near weapon’s grade. After the facilities were destroyed, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Israel for having done the “dirty work.”

Some of these destroyed sites housed uranium enriched to 60 per cent — far ahead of 3.67 per cent enrichment needed for power generation, but just a step away from weapons-grade (90 per cent).

During an unannounced IAEA survey at Fordow in 2023, inspectors found particles of uranium purified to 83.7 per cent, making it near weapons-grade.