Iran announced on Monday that it is open to participating in a regional nuclear fuel consortium, while firmly maintaining that its uranium enrichment activities will not be halted under any circumstances.
This statement comes amid ongoing indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington, held in Oman since April 12—the most senior-level interaction between the two sides since the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Despite speculation by international outlets that Iran had proposed the idea of a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei clarified that Tehran had not initiated the proposal. According to him, the idea has been previously suggested by various countries, although he did not specify which ones.
Baqaei explained during his weekly press briefing that the rationale behind such a consortium is that Middle Eastern and Persian Gulf nations may require nuclear power and are likely to develop power plants, which would in turn necessitate nuclear fuel. He stressed, however, that this initiative would not replace Iran’s existing enrichment program.
“If such a plan is put forward, Iran would welcome it and could take part,” Baqaei said. “But it should be understood that this would not serve as a substitute for Iran’s domestic enrichment efforts.”
According to recent reports, four unnamed Iranian officials allegedly told international media that Tehran had proposed a joint enrichment project involving regional Arab states and American investment. The reports suggested this proposal was intended as an alternative to Washington’s demand that Iran dismantle its nuclear program.
In response to the ongoing negotiations, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated on Sunday that the country will continue enriching uranium regardless of any potential deal. His comments came after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington cannot accept even “1% of an enrichment capability” on Iran’s part.
Currently, Iran enriches uranium up to 60% purity, significantly above the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 agreement but still short of the 90% required for weaponization.
Western powers, particularly the United States, have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities—an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, asserting that its nuclear program is purely for civilian and peaceful purposes.
Iran has also expressed concern over what it sees as inconsistent messaging from U.S. officials, with Araghchi noting a disparity between their public statements and private discussions.
