Egypt Daily News – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran must “stay away” from uranium enrichment and the development of long-range missiles, and must allow U.S. inspectors to enter its facilities. This comes at a time when a new round of nuclear talks has been postponed.
Rubio’s statements, made on Thursday, highlight the significant divisions still present in the talks between the two countries aimed at resolving the long-standing dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached.
Rubio said in an interview with Fox News, “They need to stay away from sponsoring terrorists, they need to stay away from helping the Houthis (in Yemen), they need to stay away from making long-range missiles, which have no purpose other than to possess nuclear weapons, and they need to stay away from uranium enrichment.”
Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not abandon its missile program or uranium enrichment, a process used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants but which can also produce the materials necessary to make a nuclear warhead.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that the fourth round of talks between the two countries, which was scheduled to be held in Rome on Saturday, had been postponed, and that the setting of a new date “depends on the U.S. approach.”
Rubio said that Iran should import enriched uranium for its nuclear program instead of enriching it to any level. He added, “If you have the ability to enrich at 3.67%, it only takes a few weeks to reach 20%, then 60%, then 80%, and 90%, which you need to make a weapon.”
Iran says it has the right to enrich uranium under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and denies seeking to make a nuclear bomb.
Rubio also said that Tehran would have to accept the possibility of U.S. involvement in any inspection system, and that inspectors would need access to all facilities, even military ones.
Washington is intensifying pressure on Iran. On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that all purchases of Iranian oil or petrochemical products must stop, and that any country or person who buys any of them will immediately face secondary sanctions.
Iran rejected this approach on Friday. The Foreign Ministry said, “While reaffirming Iran’s commitment to the diplomatic path and its readiness to continue negotiations, it will not tolerate any approach based on threats and pressure.”
