ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Senior officials from the administration of Donald Trump said Tuesday negotiations with Tehran collapsed after Iran refused to compromise on uranium enrichment and presented proposals that Washington believed signaled nuclear expansion rather than restraint.
Speaking to reporters, including Rudaw's Diyar Kurda, a senior official said the core dispute in the talks centered on Iran’s insistence on what Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described as an “inalienable right” to enrich uranium.
“The U.S. response was: ‘We have the right to stop it, and we will,’” the official said.
According to the officials, early warning signs – described as “tells” – emerged from the first round of negotiations. European officials reportedly acknowledged that Iran possessed around 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which they assessed could be further refined into weapons-grade material for roughly 11 nuclear bombs. Tehran warned it would “pay dearly” to reclaim the material if seized, which US officials viewed as a sign of defiance.
In a second meeting, Iranian negotiators promised to deliver a draft agreement within five to six days, but no document was produced. US officials interpreted the delay as another indication that Tehran was stalling.
During a third round, Iran eventually presented a five- to seven-page “needs-based” proposal focused on a 10-year civilian nuclear program. However, it was not a comprehensive nuclear agreement, officials said, and Iran refused to allow the US side to take the document for expert review.
The proposal reportedly allowed enrichment levels up to five times higher than what had been permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Officials said they were “dismayed” by the scope of enrichment envisioned and involved Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, for expert input.
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