Iran Rejects Uranium Enrichment Limits

Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's nuclear energy agency, has publicly rejected demands from the United States and Israel to restrict Iran's uranium enrichment program, asserting that such restrictions 'will not come true.' This declaration comes ahead of scheduled talks between Iran and the United States, mediated by Pakistan. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, while the United States and Israel accuse Tehran of seeking atomic weapons. US President Donald Trump has insisted there will be no enrichment by Iran after the current war and has suggested cooperation to remove buried nuclear material. The ongoing conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, which included targeting Iran's nuclear program. During a previous 12-day conflict in June, the United States and Israel claimed to have obliterated Iran's ability to enrich uranium, though hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium remain unaccounted for. Before last year's war, Iran had enriched uranium to 60%, significantly above the 3.67% limit of the now-defunct 2015 nuclear agreement and close to the 90% needed for a bomb, according to the International — International Atomic Energy Agency.