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Iran confirmed on Monday that it will not abandon its nuclear enrichment plans in an exclusive interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, which will air on Monday’s “Special Report” at 6 p.m.
Araghchi confirmed that despite the strong threat of international sanctions, the U.S. ambition to prevent Tehran from further developing nuclear weapons by blocking all its abundant capabilities is unlikely to be achieved.
“We can’t give up on abundance, because it’s the achievement of our own scientists. Now, it’s a matter of national pride.” He told the Special Report in a clip released before the full interview that “Our Abundance” is so precious to us. ”
The technicians work inside the uranium conversion facility outside the city of Isfahan, about 254 miles (south of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and is the core of Iran’s nuclear program, March 30, 2005. (Getty Image)
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The Foreign Secretary confirmed the extent of damage to nuclear facilities caused by the U.S. strike last month was “severe”, but he would not comment on whether any abundant uranium survived the strike.
“Our facility was damaged – severely damaged,” Aragic said. “Our Atomic Energy Organization is now evaluating its scope.
“But as far as I know, they are seriously damaged,” he added, noting that the damage has also stopped all enrichment capabilities at this time.
Iran insists that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, but that security experts may be able to generate alerts for at least one nuclear weapon within a few days and issue warheads several times in weeks before Israel and the United States strike.
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While nuclear abundance is a process required by countries that also rely on nuclear power, Iran’s nuclear energy use is less than one percent of the country’s energy consumption.
The United States suggests that given Iran’s low nuclear energy reliance on, it should join a consortium that has the potential to involve countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia for its abundant uranium to use civilian nuclear power.
But Iran has repeatedly rejected the proposal, and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also called Tehran’s ability a national pride last month.
“The world that gets a full nuclear fuel cycle may be less than the fingers of one person’s two hands,” Khamenei said in early June. “We have the ability to generate nuclear fuel from mines to power plants.”
An illustration showing a list of Iranian nuclear facilities such as the Heavy Water Reactor in Arak and the Natanz Enrichment Plant. (FDD/FOX News)
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But if Iran fails to reach a nuclear deal by the end of August, Iran also faces enormous international sanctions and even greater weapons restrictions – although it is unclear whether the deal must include the United States or only European countries including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, also known as the E3.
Not only will Iranian officials meet with top allies and chief rivals from the West, Russia and China on Tuesday, but Tehran will also hold talks with E3 officials on Friday.
Washington and Tehran have not resumed speeches after the U.S. strike last month.
