U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran must stop enriching uranium if it wants a deal with the United States.
“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one like other countries — by importing enriched material,” Rubio told journalist Bari Weiss on the Honestly podcast.
Rubio emphasized that President Donald Trump prefers a diplomatic solution but is prepared to act if necessary. “He (Trump) said very clearly, Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon, and he reserves every right to prevent that from happening,”
The U.S. aims to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, with President Trump implementing a “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions and threatening military action if Iran does not halt its nuclear program. Talks toward a nuclear agreement are ongoing.
A senior Iranian official involved in the negotiations said Wednesday that “zero enrichment is unacceptable.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said that Iran’s right to enrich uranium is “not negotiable.”
Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes, not weapons. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity — close to the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material. Western countries contend that such high enrichment levels are unnecessary for civilian use.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi announced this week that Iran has agreed to allow a technical team to visit the country soon. The team will focus on restoring surveillance at Iran’s nuclear sites.
The third round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran is set for Saturday.
