Iran-US nuclear talks to be held at Omani ambassador’s residence in Rome - IRNA

"Uranium enrichment is absolutely non-negotiable,” a senior Iranian lawmaker said Friday, warning that Western objections are aimed at undermining Iran’s independence and technological progress.

“What the West presents as concern over enrichment is, in reality, an attempt to block the independence and progress of the Iranian nation,” said Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Abbas Moghtadaei.

Moghtadaei said the Iranian people must protect the country’s nuclear achievements, which he described as the result of significant national effort. He added that ongoing negotiations aim to preserve a diplomatic path to secure Iran’s interests.

“We have repeatedly said that our goals in the nuclear field are entirely peaceful and that all uses remain within this framework,” he said.

Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff warned on Friday that any US action in the region could lead to what it described as consequences similar to America’s past military engagements in Vietnam and Afghanistan.

“Any US mischief in the region will bring a fate like Vietnam and Afghanistan,” state media quoted the military as saying in a statement marking the anniversary of the 1982 liberation of Khorramshahr, a strategic city recaptured from Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq war.

The statement accused Washington of stirring regional tensions and using what it called “Iranophobia” to extract wealth from Arab states, while asserting that Iran’s approach to the region remains focused on stability and sovereignty.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran would not accept any deal that denies its right to enrich uranium, accusing the United States of shifting positions and undermining talks.

“The Americans must decide: do they want a deal or confrontation? They can’t have both,” Takht-Ravanchi told Der Spiegel in an interview published Friday.

He said US envoy Steve Witkoff initially floated a compromise on 3.67% enrichment but later insisted on zero enrichment, which Takht-Ravanchi called unacceptable and outside the scope of negotiations.

“We cannot rely on foreign fuel supplies. Past experience shows we must be self-sufficient,” he said.

Takht-Ravanchi defended Iran’s higher-level enrichment as peaceful and necessary for research and medicine. “There are uses for 60% enrichment in scientific and medical fields. As long as it’s peaceful, there is no issue.”

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Rome on Friday ahead of the fifth round of indirect talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported.

The talks are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Iran time (1:30 p.m. local time in Itay), according to the report.

A senior Iranian lawmaker said on Friday that the country’s uranium enrichment program serves as a deterrent against foreign threats and is essential for peaceful purposes, including medical use.

“Enrichment is a critical factor in preventing foreign powers from launching attacks on Iran,” said Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, according to state media. “It has helped stop enemies from striking our country.”

He said Iran enriches uranium for non-military purposes, such as fueling the Tehran research reactor, which produces medicine for cancer patients.

Rezaei warned that surrendering enrichment would only lead to further pressure from the West. “If we give up this capability, they will next target our defense power,” he said.