Iranian foreign minister says Tehran cannot give up on nuclear enrichment

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment program which was severely damaged during the Israel-Iran war last month, Report informs via Reuters.

"It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up (on) enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," the foreign minister told the Fox News show "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Monday.

The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after US and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further.

Araghchi said that Iran is “open to talks” with the United States, but that they would not be direct talks “for the time being.”

“If they [the US] are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them,” he said.

“We are ready to do any confidence-building measure needed to prove that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever, and Iran would never go for nuclear weapons, and in return, we expect them to lift their sanctions,” the foreign minister added.

“There is a negotiated solution for our nuclear programme. We have done it once in the past. We are ready to do it once again,” Araghchi said.