WANA (May 27) – Iran’s Deputy Secretary for Foreign Policy and International Security at the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri, clarified on Wednesday that the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles is currently not on the negotiation agenda.

 

Bagheri, who is in Russia to attend the 14th International Conference of High-Ranking Security Officials, was asked about the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium on the sidelines of the summit. He stated explicitly: “This matter is not on the negotiation agenda.”

 

Strict Reliance on NPT Rights

Bagheri’s remarks align with previous statements made by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei regarding the fate of 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium.

 

“Regarding nuclear issues, the obligation is very clear; we are a member of the NPT, and as a member, we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” Baghaei stated previously.

 

“We have also stated our positions very clearly regarding Iran’s highly enriched uranium,” Baghaei added. “If we want to discuss the details of these matters at this stage, we will not reach a conclusion. Because we have walked this path before, and the differences of opinion were so vast that we could not reach a result.”

 

US Demand for Destruction Meets Diplomatic Postponement

This comes amid reports from Western media outlets, including CNN, stating that the US President is insisting that Iran’s highly enriched uranium must be destroyed before Iran’s financial demands can be met.

 

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi recently addressed the deadlock during a press conference in India, noting that the issue has been deferred.

 

“The issue of our enriched materials is a very complex matter, and we have now reached a conclusion with the Americans that since we have reached a near-deadlock on this specific case, it is better to postpone its review to later stages of the negotiations,” Araghchi said.

 

The chief diplomat added, “Therefore, this matter is currently not on the agenda for discussion or negotiation, but we will address it in later stages. When we reach that stage, we will naturally have more consultations with Russia to see if the Russian proposal can help resolve the issue.”