Iran FM says no talks with US, refuses to give up uranium enrichment

Iran is unsure it can trust the United States after Israel launched an attack amid efforts to reach a deal with Washington, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.

Speaking to NBC News in Geneva, Araghchi said the ball was now in Washington's court to "to show their determination for going for a negotiated solution".

“So they had perhaps this plan in their mind, and they just needed negotiations perhaps to cover it up,” Araghchi said, suggesting that the talks were a ruse to allow Israel to carry out its attack.
“We don’t know how we can trust them anymore. What they did was, in fact, a betrayal to diplomacy.”

Iran has engaged in talks about its nuclear programme with European states in Geneva but Tehran's top diplomat reiterated that Iran would not negotiate with the US while still under Israeli fire.

"We are not ready to negotiate with them anymore, as long as the aggression continues," he said.

The minister underscored Tehran's stance that it would not abandon uranium enrichment, as demanded by Washington, adding that he had made this clear to US envoy Steve Witkoff.

“I told him several times zero enrichment is impossible,” Araghchi said, adding that every country has the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

“This is an achievement of our own scientists. It’s a question of national pride and dignity,” he said.

The interview also touched on US-Israeli discussions about assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which Araghchi described as an "insult".

The conflict between Iran and Israel has entered its second week, with both sides having exchanged missile strikes and other aerial attacks.

Iran's health ministry said on Saturday that Israeli strikes had killed more than 400 people.

"As of this morning, Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of over 400 defenseless Iranians and left 3,056 others wounded by missiles and drones," health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said in a post on X.