With dueling statements, US and Iran approach standoff over enrichment

The United States and Iran appear to be on a collision course over whether Tehran should be allowed to enrich uranium in any nuclear deal between the two arch-foes, potentially endangering talks headed for a third round on Saturday.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio ruled out allowing any Iranian uranium enrichment, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks would stumble if US demands stray from a sole focus on nuclear weapons.

"If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, and that is they import enriched material," US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in an interview with The Free Press podcast.

"There’s a pathway to a civil, peaceful nuclear program if they want one. But if they insist on enriching, then they will be the only country in the world that doesn’t have a 'weapons program,' quote-unquote, but is enriching. And so I think that’s problematic."

The UN nuclear watchdog said last month that Iran is only non-nuclear armed state enriching uranium to 60%. Several countries which do not possess nuclear weapons, including Japan, Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands, enrich uranium at lower levels.

Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and has said its nuclear program is peaceful and marks a national scientific accomplishment. Israel, the United States and other Western countries question Tehran's intentions.

The United Nations permits uranium enrichment as part of peaceful nuclear technology and Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Iranian officialdom has repeatedly said Iran's enrichment is not up for discussion.

"If America’s only demand is that Iran not possess nuclear weapons, that demand is attainable and we can meet it," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

"But if (Washington) makes impractical and unreasonable demands, it’s natural that we will run into problems."

Araghchi's hosts, nuclear-armed US rival China, appeared to confirm its alignment with Iran's position while blessing the talks with Washington.

"China appreciates Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, respects Iran's right to peacefully use nuclear energy and supports Iran in conducting dialogue with all parties including the United States to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests through consultation and negotiation, "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

'Out of compliance'

Calling Iran "nuclear-ambitious", Rubio criticized a 2015 international nuclear deal from which US President Donald Trump withdrew in his first term and vowed to seek more permanent curbs on Iran's nuclear activity.

"The previous deal was bad for a number of reasons. It gave Iran immediate and full sanctions relief in exchange for enrichment capabilities that at any point could be weaponized in the future," Rubio said.

"They got to keep that permanently, they got to keep the sanctions relief permanently, and they only had to live by the enrichment limitations for a defined period of time."

Iran and the United States are due to hold a third round of indirect nuclear talks on Saturday in Rome after both sides described the previous two rounds as constructive.

Last week, Rubio warned that Iran is nearing a nuclear weapons capability and urged European allies to consider reimposing UN sanctions on Iran under the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism.

Iran has accumulated nearly 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Fellow signatories Germany, France and the United Kingdom can use their authority under the agreement to reimpose UN sanctions.

The deal’s final sunset clause is set to expire in October.