Iran will not abandon uranium enrichment or hand over its uranium, nuclear chief says

DUBAI — Iran's Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami has stated that his country will not cease uranium enrichment or surrender its uranium reserves, according to state media on Thursday. This comes in response to the United States demanding that Iran significantly reduce its enrichment capacity. Eslami dismissed the renewed threats from the U.S. against Iran's nuclear facilities as "nothing new," asserting that enrichment is an "inseparable part" of the nuclear process.

The comments from Eslami follow a series of proposals exchanged between Iran and the U.S. in recent weeks, aimed at ending the ongoing conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy shipping route. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, mentioned on Thursday that Iran could respond to a U.S. reaction to Iran's proposal within days.

This proposal involves reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if certain conditions are met. Eslami emphasized that "enrichment is an integral part of the nuclear process, and we will not abandon it in any way. How can you claim to have a nuclear industry if you don't have the starting point of the process?" He further added, "The nuclear industry is the driving force of science and technology."