Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday told the visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir that Tehran would not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also rejected the idea of negotiations under US threats during his meeting with Munir, who is in Tehran as part of a renewed push to mediate a peace deal between the Islamic republic and the United States.
“Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran; such materials constitute a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people, intended for use within the country,” said Rezaei, Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. “The Americans must first remove the threats and sanctions; only then can we engage in dialogue,” he said.
The Middle East war was sparked in late February by the United States and Israel when they launched a wave of surprise attacks on Iran, while Washington and Tehran were in the midst of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made similar remarks to Munir.
“We have nothing new to say; America cannot gain Iran’s trust unless it fulfils the seven conditions,” said Ghalibaf, noting that “threats and military manoeuvres cannot influence Iran’s strategic decisions”.
