Iran: Highly-enriched uranium stockpiles not on agenda of nuclear talks

Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Bagheri, who traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to participate in the 14th International Security Forum, told journalists on Wednesday that enriched uranium stockpiles are not on the agenda of nuclear talks. "This issue is not on the agenda of talks," Bagheri said.

Prior to Bagheri's remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei had addressed the fate of 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium. "It is very clear when it comes to nuclear issues. We are a member of the NPT and as a member, we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," Baghaei stated. He added, "We have also made our positions very clear regarding Iran’s highly enriched uranium. If we want to discuss the details of these issues at this stage, we will not be able to conclude the talks. Because we have already gone this route and the differences of opinion were so big that we were unable to conclude them."

According to Mehr News, these statements come amid ongoing discussions between Iran and world powers over the nuclear program. The comments suggest that Tehran is not willing to negotiate over its stockpile of enriched uranium, which has been a point of contention in previous talks.