Iran refuses to give up nuclear enrichment in an exclusive interview with Fox News

Iran confirmed on Monday that it will not give up its nuclear enrichment program in an exclusive interview with Bret Baier of Fox News and the Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, which will take place at 6 pm in the “special report” on Monday.

Araghchi has confirmed that the main ambition of the United States to prevent Tehran from further developing a nuclear weapon by blocking all the enrichment capacities would not materialize, despite threats of intense international sanctions.

“We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that is a question of national pride,” said Araghchi. “Our enrichment is so dear to us,” he told Bret Baier, Anchor and editor-in-chief of Special Report, in a clip published before the full interview broadcast.

Technicians work within a production unit of uranium conversion facilities just outside the city of Isfahan, about 254 miles (south of the capital Tehran, Iran, in the heart of the Iranian nuclear program on March 30, 2005. (Getty Images)

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the extent of damage to his nuclear installations caused by American strikes last month was “serious”, but he would not comment if an enriched uranium survived strikes.

“Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged,” said Araghchi. “Whose scale is now being evaluated by our organization of atomic energy.

“But as far as I know, they are seriously damaged,” he added, noting that damage has also ceased all the enrichment capacities for the moment.

Iran argued that it was not looking for a nuclear weapon, but in front of the Israeli and American strikes, security experts learned the alarm that Tehran was probably able to produce at least one nuclear weapon in a few days and several warheads in a few weeks.

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While nuclear enrichment is a necessary process for countries that are also based on nuclear energy, Iran’s nuclear energy consumption represents less than one percent of the country’s energy consumption.

The United States has suggested that, taking into account the small quantities of nuclear energy on which Iran is based, it should join a consortium which could potentially involve nations such as water and Saudi Arabia for its enriched uranium needs for civil nuclear use.

But Iran repeatedly rejected this proposal, the Iranian supreme chief of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also referring to Tehran’s abilities as a source of national pride last month.

“The number of countries in the world that has reached a full nuclear fuel cycle may be lower than the number of fingers on both hands of a person,” Khamenei said in early June. “We are able to produce nuclear fuel from the mine and to the power plant.”

An illustration showing a list of Iranian nuclear installations such as the nuclear reactor in heavy water from Arak and the Natanz enrichment plant. (FDD / Fox News)

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But Iran also faces immense international sanctions and even greater weapons restrictions if it does not reach a nuclear agreement by the end of August-although this agreement is to include the United States or simply European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, also called E3.

Iranian officials will not only meet his best allies and main opponents in the West, Russia and China on Tuesday, but Tehran should also meet on Friday with E3 officials.

Washington and Tehran have not yet resumed the talks after the American strikes last month.