Tehran: Tehran affirmed on Tuesday its adherence to its red lines in its nuclear file, most notably its right to enrich uranium and its refusal to negotiate its missile and defense capabilities, threatening the possibility of withdrawing from negotiations with the United States if pressure continues. Iranian Parliament Member Ebrahim Rezaei said, in statements reported by state media, that "Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, stressed during a meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee that enrichment is a red line, and that Tehran will not engage in any discussion on regional or military issues."

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Rezaei added that "the fourth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, which took place recently, did not go beyond discussing general principles, and that the Iranian delegation encountered clear contradictions in the American positions and expressed its strong rejection of the new sanctions."

Gharibabadi explained that "the West's demands to freeze or reduce enrichment capabilities are red lines that cannot be crossed, given that nuclear technology has become part of Iran's national identity and has been paid for politically, economically, and security-wise." He emphasized that "Washington's attempts to impose a zero-enrichment policy are completely unacceptable, and if this is their condition, then there is no need to continue the negotiations."

He pointed out that "uranium enrichment represents national sovereignty and one of the pillars of Iranian national pride." According to Rezaei, some Iranian parliamentarians have proposed "the idea of withdrawing from the negotiations if Iran's right to enrichment is not explicitly recognized and sanctions are not lifted."