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Iran will not give up uranium enrichment program: Araqchi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 22, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has reaffirmed that Iran will not give up its uranium enrichment program despite Israeli-U.S. strikes targeting its nuclear facilities last month.

In an interview with Fox News aired on Monday, Araqchi dismissed U.S. attempts to block all enrichment capabilities, saying enrichment has turned into a source of national pride in Iran.

"We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," he said. "Our enrichment is so dear to us."

He also said that the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities caused by the U.S. strikes last month was "serious," adding that the extent of the damage "is now under evaluation by our atomic energy organization."

Backed by the United States, Israel launched a war of aggression against Iran on June 13, assassinating several high-ranking military commanders and nuclear scientists, as well as more than 1,000 civilians. The U.S. directly joined the war a week later, when it attacked three nuclear sites in Iran in blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces pounded key Israeli targets across the occupied territories, as well as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in West Asia, forcing a halt to the illegal assault.

Araqchi further said if the U.S. wants to deprive Iran of its legitimate rights, including enrichment, "that is not going to happen."

"We remain committed to below 5% [enrichment] to produce fuel for nuclear power plants, and we also enriched up to 20% because we have a research reactor in Tehran, which is called the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR)," he explained.

"So we are enriching uranium for our own needs, and we once went up to 60% and that was after the sabotage in our nuclear facilities."

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