It comes after Trump asserted that the United States ‘obliterated their nuclear facilities’ and added that he isn’t offering Iran any deal.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that the Islamic regime will not stop enriching uranium, days after U.S. airstrikes were launched against the country’s nuclear program.
The ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that the Non-Proliferation Treaty regarding nuclear weapons, “means that the right of one side will be the obligation of the other sides.”
When asked by CBS host Margaret Brennan whether Iran would restart enriching uranium, he said, “I think that enrichment will … never stop.” He then said that Iran has the “inalienable right” to do so and that Tehran wants “to implement this right.”
Iravani then said that Iran is going to enrich uranium “always in a peaceful manner,” echoing claims by the regime that have been disputed by the U.S. and Israeli governments.
For producing electricity for civilian use, uranium only needs to be enriched to 3.67 percent. A report released by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in early May, however, said that Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60 percent. To make a nuclear weapon, uranium needs to be enriched to 90 percent.
Both the United States and Israel have long said that Iran is working to develop nuclear weapons alongside a ballistic missile program, warranting recent airstrikes on the country.
When asked whether any U.N. inspectors in Iran are safe and can perform inspections, Iravani said: “They are in Iran. They are in safe conditions. But activity has been suspended. They cannot have access to our site.”
Earlier this month, Israel launched a surprise airstrike targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities as well as top military leaders, prompting Tehran to fire salvos of missiles at Israel over a roughly 12-day period. The United States then bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities before U.S. President Donald Trump announced a cease-fire days later between Iran and Israel.
