Foreign minister: Iran has the right to "nuclear energy, including enrichment"

Washington — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Iran has "every close to bask a peaceful atomic energy, including enrichment" arsenic the U.S. pushes for a woody connected its atomic program.

Negotiators for the U.S. and Iran met past week successful Geneva, wherever some sides said advancement was made. President Trump said connected Friday, amid a massive subject buildup successful the region, that he's considering a constricted subject strike connected Iran, aft informing that Tehran had a substance of days to scope a woody connected its atomic program, oregon "bad things" would happen.

Araghchi announced Sunday connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" the 2 sides volition travel unneurotic again Thursday successful Geneva. 

He said that the lone mode to find a solution for Iran's atomic programme is done diplomacy, portion stressing that a solution is wrong reach. 

"So determination is nary request for immoderate subject buildup, and subject buildup cannot assistance it and cannot pressurize us," helium said. 

The Iranian overseas minister, who helped negociate the 2015 atomic woody nether the Obama administration, said the Iranians are inactive moving connected a draught connection for Steve Witkoff, the U.S. peculiar envoy to the Middle East. Araghchi said that erstwhile the 2 sides conscionable again Thursday, "we tin enactment connected those elements and hole a bully substance and travel to a accelerated deal."

U.S. officials person expressed wide skepticism astir Iran's atomic program, including the bulk of Republicans successful Congress who person called connected the president to request zero enrichment and a afloat dismantlement of the program. But Araghchi argued that "enrichment is our right." 

Araghchi said enrichment is simply a "sensitive part" of the negotiations, noting that the U.S. negotiators are alert of Iran's presumption and "we person already exchanged our concerns."

"I deliberation a solution is achievable," Araghchi added. 

Asked by Brennan whether demanding a close to enrich connected Iranian ungraded is worthy the hazard amid the American subject buildup, Araghchi said "as a sovereign country, we person each close to determine for ourselves, by ourselves."

"We person developed this exertion by ourselves, by our scientists, and it's precise beloved to us,"  Araghchi said. "So that is present a substance of dignity and pridefulness for Iranians, and we are not going to springiness it up. There is nary ineligible crushed to bash that portion everything is peaceful, portion everything is safeguarded by the agency."

Araghchi said "if the U.S. attacks us, past we person each close to support ourselves."

"Our missiles cannot deed the American soil," Araghchi said. "So evidently we person to bash thing else. We person to hit, you know, the Americans' basal successful the region."

Still, Araghchi questioned wherefore struggle would beryllium indispensable "when determination is each anticipation for a peaceful solution."