“We will not yield,” said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejecting any compromise on uranium enrichment, a major point of contention with Western countries over Iran’s nuclear program. AFP reviews Tehran’s firm stance just days before a possible return of UN sanctions against Iran.
Why does Tehran insist on enrichment?
Iran’s nuclear sector employs over 17,000 people, according to Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. Nuclear technology is used not only for energy but also in healthcare (cancer detection), agriculture (pest control), and advanced technologies.
Nuclear power plants use low-enriched uranium (around 3–5%), while research centers, including in Tehran, can enrich up to 20%. Uranium enrichment above 60% is considered a technical step toward military use.
Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons but says it enriches to 60% in response to the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018. Then-President Donald Trump argued the deal, signed by Barack Obama, was insufficiently strict, reinstating and tightening US sanctions. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country enriching uranium to 60%.
Why is giving it up a red line?
To resume nuclear talks, the Trump administration now demands that Iran abandon all enrichment. The 2015 deal capped enrichment at 3.67% in exchange for sanctions relief.
“We fulfilled all our obligations, but they (Americans and Europeans) did not lift sanctions, they kept no promises,” Khamenei said Tuesday. Completely abandoning enrichment would mean accepting far less favorable conditions than the 2015 deal.
Iran also considers civil nuclear activity, including uranium enrichment, a “right” under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Despite substantial hydrocarbon reserves, Iran faces regular power outages, making nuclear energy a key solution to energy shortages.
When did Iran start its nuclear program?
Iran’s nuclear program began in the 1950s under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, allied with the US. In 1957, Iran signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. In 1970, Iran ratified the NPT, requiring signatories to declare and place nuclear materials under IAEA supervision.
In 1974, the Shah launched an ambitious plan to build around 20 power plants to produce and export electricity, as domestic energy demand surged and oil resources were finite. Construction at Bushehr, led by Siemens, began but was interrupted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war (1980–1988).
Why is there mistrust over Iran’s nuclear program?
In 2002, US-released satellite images revealed two secret nuclear sites at Arak and Natanz, drawing international attention. In August 2003, the UN discovered traces of enriched uranium at Natanz, raising suspicions that Iran sought nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied.
In 2006, Iran began enriching uranium to 3.5%, then 4.8%, prompting the UN to impose sanctions. By 2009, enrichment reached 20%. Tensions eased in 2015 with the historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
AFP
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