Egypt Daily News – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran has the right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle, citing the fact that several member states of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) reject nuclear weapons while still engaging in uranium enrichment. His remarks came in response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called for banning Iran from enriching uranium and instead allowing it to import nuclear fuel from abroad.
In a post Saturday morning on the platform X and the Telegram app, Araghchi responded to Rubio’s statements by writing:
“As one of the founding members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the full right to possess the complete nuclear fuel cycle.”
Rubio had told Fox News that Iran must “stop enriching uranium, producing long-range missiles, and supporting terrorism,” as he put it.
Although Araghchi didn’t mention Rubio by name, he said:
“Repeating false claims doesn’t change fundamental facts.”
Rubio had argued that if Iran’s intentions were peaceful, it could use nuclear reactors like many other nations and rely on imported fuel:
“The only countries enriching uranium are those with nuclear weapons. Iran wants to be the only country in the world enriching uranium without having a nuclear weapon.”
Araghchi countered by emphasizing that multiple NPT member states enrich uranium while fully rejecting nuclear weapons. Without naming them, he pointed to countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America as examples.
What is the NPT?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed on January 1, 1968, in New York at the height of the Cold War. It aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons while promoting peaceful nuclear energy use among non-nuclear states.
Iran is among the treaty’s earliest signatories. The treaty consists of 11 articles and currently has 187 member states. Five countries have not signed it: Israel, India, Pakistan, Cuba, and North Korea. Notably, North Korea initially joined but later violated and withdrew from the treaty.
Latest Developments in U.S.–Iran Negotiations
In April 2025, three rounds of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States took place with Omani mediation:
- April 12 in Muscat – A brief meeting occurred between Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Whitcoff following mediated sessions.
- April 19 in Rome – Brokered by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi.
- April 26 in Muscat – Focused on technical and political discussions.
A planned fourth round in Rome was canceled at the last minute due to logistical reasons, according to Oman’s foreign ministry.
The U.S. continues to insist that Iran halt uranium enrichment, ballistic missile development, and regional activities in exchange for lifting sanctions. Iran, in turn, refuses to negotiate on what it calls “issues outside the nuclear agreement.”
