Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has issued a stern warning to the United Kingdom and its European allies, threatening to end all nuclear negotiations if the UK continues to back calls for Iran to completely halt uranium enrichment.
The warning follows remarks made by Lord Peter Mandelson, the UK ambassador to Washington, during a public event at the Atlantic Council in the US capital. His comments suggested a UK alignment with Washington’s hardline stance, specifically President Donald Trump’s demand to “negotiate away these enrichment and related facilities in Iran.”
Lord Mandelson remarked that “Iran since the theocratic revolution has never been in a weaker state than it is now.” He cited multiple reasons for Tehran’s vulnerability, including “economic sanctions, the heavy pounding that its proxies have taken,” and “the growth of public opinion, especially amongst young people in Iran, away from the regime.”
“Iran is vulnerable. But it still retains enrichment facilities which can produce … a nuclear bomb. And we can’t accept that.”
Lord Peter Mandelson
He reaffirmed the UK’s backing of the US efforts, stating: “So Britain strongly supports the [US] president’s initiative in negotiating away these enrichment and related facilities in Iran.”
Araghchi’s response was swift. Posting on social media, he declared: “If the UK position is ‘zero enrichment’ in Iran, there is nothing left for us to discuss on the nuclear issue.” He emphasized that such a demand would violate both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Britain’s obligations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the historic agreement designed to cap Iran’s civil nuclear capabilities.
The JCPoA permits Iran to enrich uranium up to 3.75% purity, under a strict international monitoring regime. Tehran has maintained that this right is non-negotiable, viewing uranium enrichment as a matter of national sovereignty.
Iran Threatens To Halt All European Talks
Araghchi clarified that the tweet was aimed at Mandelson’s statement: “This tweet was in response to a British official who had talked about zero enrichment.” He elaborated, “We continued our consultations with three European countries during this period, but if their position is zero enrichment, we will no longer have any talks with them about nuclear issues.”
He underscored Iran’s position: “They must determine their own position, and we are not joking with anyone on the issue of enrichment.”
Responding to growing tension, the British Foreign Office maintained that its position had not shifted.
“We remain committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through snapback [of sanctions] if necessary.
“We have urged Iran to engage with President Trump’s offer of a negotiated solution, and we continue to liaise closely with our allies and partners on this in support of regional stability and to secure peace in the Middle East.”
British Foreign Office
As negotiations teeter on the edge, no date has been fixed for a sixth round of nuclear talks. However, in a potential gesture of goodwill, Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, announced a willingness to allow not just United Nations but also US inspectors into its nuclear facilities. Iran has also offered to reduce uranium enrichment levels and move its existing high-grade stockpile to a third country, possibly Russia.
The talks have largely shifted under US leadership since Trump withdrew from the JCPoA in 2018. That move prompted Tehran to increase enrichment to levels close to those needed for weaponization, further escalating international concern.
Despite being sidelined, the UK, France, and Germany have maintained quiet diplomacy, with the Iranian foreign ministry holding a closed-door briefing with three European officials in Geneva two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have intensified consultations with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, and the CIA, signaling increased regional involvement in what remains a volatile diplomatic landscape.
While Trump has hinted at a “good announcement within days,” previous claims of breakthroughs have yet to materialize.
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