Iran Open to Diplomacy but Firm on Uranium Enrichment, Senior Official Says

Iran will not pursue further retaliation against the United States over recent attacks on its nuclear program, but it will continue to enrich uranium, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview published Thursday.

Speaking with NBC News in Tehran, Takht-Ravanchi said the US inflicted “serious damage” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure during “a naked act of aggression” on June 21.

Tehran responded on June 23 with a missile strike on an American military installation in Qatar. The attack led to flight disruptions near Doha, in the United Arab Emirates, but caused no casualties.

Asked whether Iran would take further military action, Takht-Ravanchi said, “As long as there is no act of aggression being perpetrated by the United States against us, we will not respond again.”

The US attack followed Israeli aggressions on June 12, which killed dozens of Iranian military officials and scientists, along with nearly 1,000 civilians, including 38 children.

In retaliation, Iranian missiles targeted Tel Aviv and other Israeli-occupied cities, leaving 38 settlers dead, according to Israeli authorities.

These developments occurred amid ongoing nuclear discussions between Iran and the Trump administration, talks that had already been undermined by Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement.

“How can we trust the Americans?” Takht-Ravanchi asked following the attacks during these negotiations. “We want them to explain as to why they misled us, why they took such an egregious action against our people.”

Despite his skepticism, he said Iran remains open to dialogue.

“We are for diplomacy,” he said. “We are for dialogue. But the US government needs to convince us that they are not going to use military force while we are negotiating. That is an essential element for our leadership to be in a position to decide about the future round of talks.”

Takht-Ravanchi reiterated Iran’s position that it does not seek nuclear weapons, and as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it retains the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

 “Our policy has not changed on enrichment,” Takht-Ravanchi said. “Iran has every right to do enrichment within its territory. The only thing that we have to observe is not to go for militarization.”

He added, “Iran is ready to engage with others to talk about the scope, the level, the capacity of our enrichment program.”

Responding to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s suggestion that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium may have been relocated prior to the attacks, Takht-Ravanchi said, “I do not know where those materials are, and I will stop at that.”