2026-02-08 16:30
publication
2026-02-08 16:30
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi announced on Sunday that his country will not give up uranium enrichment “even if war is imposed on Iran.” The minister argued during a press conference in Tehran that the concentration of American troops in the region does not cause fear among the Iranian authorities.
Aragchi stressed that Iran “paid a very high price for its peaceful nuclear program and uranium enrichment.”
“Why do we insist on enriching (uranium) so much, even if war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate to us how to behave,” said the head of Iranian diplomacy.
He added that the concentration of American troops in the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, which connects this water area with the Persian Gulf, “does not frighten Iran.”
“We are a nation of diplomacy. We are also a nation of war, but that does not mean we seek war,” Aragchi emphasized.
In recent weeks, the US has strengthened its military presence in the Near and Middle East. On February 3, an American F-35 fighter shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone, which – in the opinion of American troops – “aggressively” approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which was in neutral waters of the Arabian Sea.
On Friday, in the capital of Oman, Muscat, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner talked with the Iranian foreign minister about the possibility of resuming official negotiations on the Iran nuclear agreement. After the meeting, US President Donald Trump said that they were “very good talks” and Tehran was “very keen” to conclude a deal with Washington.
The Iranian Foreign Minister announced that Tehran is “ready” to conclude an agreement with Washington, which – as he said – will calm down the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program. Aragchi emphasized that he had already agreed with the US to resume negotiations, and the date of negotiations was still open. (PAP)
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