Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Iraqi insists on his country's right to uranium enrichment, considering it a sovereign right that is not subject to compromise, despite his talk of an opportunity to reach a diplomatic settlement with the United States regarding the nuclear program, in light of a charged regional atmosphere and the escalation of threats with the military option.
Iraqi confirmed, in an interview with the American CBS network, that enrichment represents the core of the existing dispute with Washington, explaining that Iran, as a sovereign state, retains the right to make its strategic decisions on its own, at a time when the American administration is pressuring to impose strict restrictions on Iranian nuclear activities. The Iranian official opened, in the same interview, the door to cautious optimism by referring to a "good opportunity" to revive the diplomatic path between Tehran and Washington, despite the continuation of American threats and the possibility of sliding towards a military confrontation, which reflects the duality of the scene between the language of dialogue and the logic of force. Iraqi also warned that any American attack would be considered an "act of aggression," stressing his country's right to defend itself, and pointing out, according to what the French News Agency reported, that the Iranian response would be legitimate and justified, while hinting that American bases in the region might be within the circle of response. These statements come in the context of moves to relaunch a new round of nuclear negotiations, amid a deep divergence over the limits of the restrictions imposed and the mechanisms for lifting sanctions, which puts the diplomatic path at a decisive crossroads between the possibility of reaching a settlement or sliding towards an open escalation.
