Iran refuses to halt uranium enrichment despite US pressure and threat of war, saying no one can dictate its nuclear decisions

Iran Draws Red Line on Nuclear Talks: “Enrichment Will Continue—Nothing Can Be Forced on Us,” Tehran Tells US

Iran has drawn a hard red line on its nuclear programme, openly daring the United States to escalate if it chooses. Speaking amid raising US military pressure in the Persian Gulf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made it clear that Tehran will not halt uranium enrichment under any circumstances, even if war is imposed. 

Calling enrichment a “strategic choice” for which Iran has already “paid a very high price,” Araghchi said intimidation, sanctions, or aircraft carriers will not dictate Iran’s behaviour. He dismissed Washington’s military deployments as scare tactics, questioned America’s sincerity in ongoing talks, and warned that continued sanctions expose the hollowness of US diplomacy.  

While Iran claims it is not seeking a nuclear bomb, it insists enrichment is non-negotiable and central to its sovereignty—signalling that negotiations will collapse unless the US abandons its pressure-first approach. In blunt terms, Tehran’s message is unmistakable: no surrender no rollback, no obedience—even at the risk of full-scale conflict.