New impasse? Iran rejects US demands to give up enrichment, says it ‘will continue with or without deal’

After U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff called uranium enrichment a “clear red line” on Sunday, the Iranian leadership was quick to respond, calling his position “unrealistic.” 

Speaking to ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday, Witkoff reaffirmed the Trump administration’s stance on the issue of uranium enrichment, saying any deal will not include agreement authorizing enrichment in Iran. 

"We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability," Witkoff said during the interview. 

On negotiations with Iran for a new nuclear deal, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff tells @JonKarl that uranium enrichment is the Trump administration’s “one very, very clear red line.”

“We cannot have that. Because enrichment enables weaponization.” https://t.co/eXpYGKlkRR pic.twitter.com/WmauqQuAEV

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 18, 2025

“We've delivered a proposal to the Iranians, that we think addresses some of this, without disrespecting them,” Witkoff continued. 

The special envoy reiterated the Trump administration's desire to see a diplomatic resolution. 

“The president has been very clear, he wants to solve this conflict diplomatically, and with dialogue,” Witkoff stated. 

Shortly after Witkoff’s statements, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a message to 𝕏, saying that Iran’s membership in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allowed it the right of enrichment, “and there is no scenario in which Iranians will permit deviance from that.” 

He also spoke of the investment the Islamic Republic has made to achieve enrichment, saying, “Mastering enrichment technology is a hard-earned and homegrown scientific achievement.” 

He claimed the U.S. could negotiate a deal to ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon, but said that the country will continue to enrich. 

“If the U.S. is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome. Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.” 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed Araghchi’s comments at a talk at the Tehran Dialogue Forum, hosted at the School of International Relations in Tehran on Sunday. 

“We will never give up our peaceful nuclear program,” Pezeshkian said, before directly addressing the U.S. “This is our right. We will continue to flourish even if you never abandon your pressure tactics.” 

Araghchi, who also spoke at the Tehran Dialogue Forum, accused the U.S. of taking contradictory positions during the negotiations and attributed that to Israeli pressure. 

“It’s now evident that anti-diplomacy elements in Washington, acting in coordination with Netanyahu’s dangerous agenda, are actively undermining progress,” he said. “Internal politics are one thing, but allowing hardline factions to hijack negotiations through constant framework changes is both unproductive and unacceptable.” 

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Monday that if the U.S. continues to insist on no enrichment, “then continuing the negotiations is pointless and futile.” 

Iran and the U.S. have conducted four rounds of negotiations, mediated by Oman, regarding Iran’s nuclear program. While both sides have described the talks as positive, there appears to have been little actual progress in the discussions. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed the Trump administration’s stance regarding enrichment. 

"We are 100% committed to that red line. The President, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Secretary Rubio have made that incredibly clear – not just to the American public, but also in direct discussions that Special Envoy Witkoff has had with the Iranians," Leavitt told reporters at the White House. 

Also on Monday, a joint statement by the European Union and the United Kingdom expressed “deep concern” over “the dangerous expansion of Iran’s nuclear program.” 

“We continue to be deeply concerned by the dangerous expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, alongside its behavior in the region and on European soil,” the statement read. 

During his Middle East tour, Trump appeared to reiterate his support for a military option if talks fail to achieve a deal. 

Speaking to Fox News’ Brett Baier, Trump said, "Well, we're gonna have a solution one way or the other. It's either gonna be violent or not violent – and I far prefer non-violent.” 

“You have to view them as people and I don't want it to be a violent thing,” Trump continued. “But they are not gonna have a nuclear weapon.”