Iran has rejected a U.S. demand to halt uranium enrichment ahead of a new round of nuclear talks set for Saturday in Oman. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran must stop all enrichment and import only low-level uranium for civilian use.
“Zero enrichment is unacceptable,” a senior Iranian official close to the negotiating team said Wednesday.
The talks come as Iran accelerates enrichment to 60% purity, nearing weapons-grade levels, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“There’s a pathway to a civil, peaceful nuclear program if they want one,” Rubio told the “Honestly with Bari Weiss” podcast.
“But if they insist on enriching, then they’ll be the only country in the world without a weapons program doing so. That’s problematic.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed a maximum pressure campaign on Tehran, combining sweeping sanctions with warnings of potential military action.
Iran maintains its program is peaceful and denies any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Last week, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff initially said Iran didn’t need to enrich beyond 3.67%, then clarified that all enrichment must stop and be eliminated.
Rubio echoed that on Tuesday, saying Iran could import enriched material like other countries with peaceful nuclear programs.
Western officials argue there is no civilian justification for 60% enrichment.
Only states that have built weapons have enriched to that level.
The outcome of Saturday’s talks remains uncertain. Both sides are holding firm.
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A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck the waters off Yilan County, Taiwan, late on Saturday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) reported.
Moscow’s major airports have experienced widespread flight delays and cancellations due to heavy snowfall and icy conditions, disrupting travel across Russia, Europe, and the Caucasus.
The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency session on Monday to discuss Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, amid criticism from African, Middle Eastern, and other international actors.
Two people were killed and 26 others injured after a massive multi vehicle crash on a major expressway in Japan as the country began its end of year holiday travel period, police said on Saturday.
New York placed the state under emergency measures on Friday as a powerful winter storm brought the heaviest snowfall since 2022, disrupting travel across the north-east of the United States.
Russia launched missiles and drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine overnight on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, ahead of talks on Sunday between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending nearly four years of war.
The United States carried out a strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said on Thursday.
Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state on Friday, drawing strong condemnation from Somalia and regional and international organisations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russia is using territory in neighbouring Belarus to support attacks on Ukrainian targets and to circumvent Kyiv’s defensive positions, warning that the practice undermines Belarusian sovereignty.
Azerbaijan is strengthening its role in international energy projects through foreign investment, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on Thursday, describing the energy sector as a central pillar of the country’s economic diplomacy.
The move is intended to combine digital innovation and long-term infrastructure planning with further modernise urban mobility while strengthening the country’s position as a key transit hub across Eurasia.
Foreign aid and its political implications are at the centre of public debate in Georgia with mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze echoing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's stance on USAID.
Jeyhun Bayramov expressed concerns regarding the Russian Investigative Committee’s decision to close the criminal case related to the AZAL airplane crash.
Iran has rolled out a test vending of imported premium at market price in Tehran to address the country's domestic petroleum consumption deficit.
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