Iran gets tough: We will not give up uranium enrichment and we will not hand over our stocks

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The head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Islami, announced that his country will not abandon uranium enrichment and will not hand over its stock of enriched materials, in a position that deepens the gap with Washington, which is demanding concrete steps to reduce Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while messages continue between the two parties through intermediaries.

While Islami described enrichment as an integral part of the nuclear process and a basis for scientific and technological progress in his country, he stressed in statements to reporters on Thursday that Iran will not back down from its right to it.

He also added that American threats to its nuclear facilities are not new, and that the pressures associated with its program mean, in his opinion, that its owners have reached the end of the road in their positions, according to what Reuters reported from Iranian official media.

Islami also said that the issue of enrichment was raised again with demands to include it on the negotiating agenda, and that Iran will not accept that. He pointed out that the United States itself places nuclear technology among its priorities in development, security and defense documents, and that many countries are competing for it.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that his country would not hand over enriched uranium either.

This came with a declared American hardening, as Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview conducted on Tuesday that Iran must take a meaningful step regarding its enrichment capacity in order for progress to be achieved in the negotiations. He wondered about Tehran's need for 60% enriched fuel as long as it says it is not seeking a nuclear weapon, considering that abandoning its production would be a sign of commitment.

Eslami's statements came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed the continuation of the diplomatic track with the United States, and that Tehran is currently studying the American response to its observations regarding the seven-day plan.

It is noteworthy that the stockpile enriched by 60% constitutes one of the most prominent sources of Western concern, as an International Atomic Energy Agency report issued in May 2025 stated that it is sufficient to produce about 9 nuclear bombs if its enrichment is raised to 90%. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump repeatedly asserts that he will not allow Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.