Iran will not cease its uranium enrichment activities, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed in an interview set to air Monday evening on Fox News.
Speaking to anchor Bret Baier, Araghchi declared the program a point of "national pride," rejecting US demands that Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions.
"We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists," Araghchi said. "And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride. Our enrichment is so dear to us."
Araghchi also acknowledged that US airstrikes last month caused “serious” damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, he declined to specify whether any enriched uranium remained intact.
“Our facilities have been damaged - seriously damaged,” he stated, noting that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is still evaluating the full extent of the destruction. For now, all enrichment activities have ceased.
Araghchi’s comments come a day after Iran announced it will hold nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany in Istanbul on Friday.
Tehran faces intensifying sanctions and arms restrictions if it fails to reach a nuclear deal by the end of August. It remains unclear whether a future agreement must include the US or only France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The US is not expected to be part of the talks in Istanbul this weekend. The US strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure effectively ended indirect US-Iran negotiations that were previously conducted via Omani mediators.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned last week that European nations will impose "dramatic sanctions" on Iran in weeks if it doesn't end nuclear uncertainty and allow UN inspectors to return.
Iran recently suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and significantly escalated tensions with the UN watchdog.
The Iranian government contends that a resolution passed last month by the board of the IAEA, which declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, paved the way for the recent Israeli strikes.