The president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated this Sunday (21) that the country will not accept ending its uranium enrichment activities, one of the main points of friction in negotiations with the United States to try to end the conflict that has lasted almost four months in the Middle East.
The statement was made hours before the start of the first round of talks between representatives of the two countries in Luzerne, Switzerland.
According to Pezeshkian, the Iranian government is willing to formalize commitments that remove any suspicion about the production of nuclear weapons, but considers the right to maintain its nuclear program for civilian purposes to be non-negotiable.
“What the United States demands is that Iran not build an atomic bomb. We can guarantee that. But we will not give up our right to uranium enrichment,” declared the Iranian president.
The meeting in Switzerland takes place after the signing of a memorandum of understanding valid for 60 days, considered the first relevant diplomatic advance since the start of the war. Mediation will be handled by Pakistani authorities.
New point of conflict
On Saturday (20), the Iranian government announced restrictions on traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for the global transport of oil and natural gas.
Tehran justified the measure by alleging non-compliance with commitments made by the United States and the continuation of Israel’s military operations in the region.
The impasse has the potential to increase pressure on negotiations. The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the main energy routes in the world, and any significant interruption in the flow of vessels usually generates concern in global markets.
