Iran vows not to give up ‘a single particle’ of nuclear material

Iran has vowed not to surrender any of its enriched nuclear material, casting fresh doubt on diplomatic efforts to end its ongoing conflict with the United States.

Mohsen Rezaei, identified by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB as secretary of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday that Tehran would not allow the removal of its enriched nuclear material.

“We will not remove even a single particle of enriched nuclear material from the country,” Rezaei said, according to IRIB.

The statement comes amid continuing disagreements between Washington and Tehran over the conditions for ending the war and negotiating a possible nuclear agreement.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has maintained that Iran must give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and accept restrictions on its nuclear programme as part of a final peace deal.

Washington has also pushed for an initial ceasefire agreement to include negotiations on Iran’s nuclear activities.

However, Tehran has rejected that condition, insisting that discussions on its nuclear programme can only begin after fighting has formally stopped on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

The dispute remains a major obstacle to diplomatic efforts, with both sides maintaining sharply different positions on the future of Iran’s nuclear activities.

US maintains nuclear weapons warning

Trump has repeatedly argued that military action against Iran was necessary to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to build one.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated Washington’s position on Tuesday, saying: “crazy Islamists in Tehran will never ever have a nuclear weapon.”

The latest exchange comes as both countries continue to make competing claims about the outcome of the conflict.

Hegseth said US forces had struck 13,000 targets during 40 days of combat, claiming that more than 80 per cent of Iran’s nuclear industrial base had been destroyed.

He also said Iran’s navy had been sunk, its air force grounded and its defence industrial base destroyed.

Iran’s Defence Ministry rejected the assessment on Wednesday, describing the figures presented by Hegseth as fabricated.

A ministry spokesperson said the country’s weapons stockpile “far exceeds the deceptive figures fabricated by Trump and the defeated Pete”.

The spokesperson also claimed Iran had strengthened its military capabilities through strategic production and upgraded technologies.

Threats extend beyond the Middle East

Meanwhile, Rezaei threatened to expand Iran’s response to US attacks beyond the Middle East, warning that American military bases in Europe could become targets if used to launch operations against Iran.

“If American aircraft take off from an American military base, even one located in a European country or some other distant region, to bomb Iran, we will strike those bases as well,” he told Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television.

He also warned that Iran could target distant American military installations and islands it believes are within the range of its missiles.

The developments come as tensions continue around the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial vessels have faced repeated attacks.

The conflict has also inflicted substantial economic damage across the Gulf region. Insurer Allianz Trade estimated that physical damage and economic losses for Gulf countries had exceeded $200 billion, with the cumulative cost potentially reaching $790 billion by 2030.

(CBS News)