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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) 鈥� Iran鈥檚 top diplomat insisted Wednesday that Tehran will never stop enriching uranium, further underlining the Islamic Republic’s red line in negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi come after multiple rounds of talks between the two nations, including at an expert level over the details of a possible deal. However, none has been reached yet and American officials including President Donald Trump, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintain that Iran must give up enrichment 鈥� something it didn’t do in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

鈥淚 have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue 鈥� with or without an agreement,鈥� Araghchi said, according to state television.

Araghchi added that Iran is 鈥渃urrently reviewing whether to participate in the next round and when to take part鈥� in talks with the U.S. The U.S. and Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, have yet to announce any fifth round of talks. Trump’s trip to the Mideast last week delayed any new meeting. Negotiators previously met in Muscat, Oman, and Rome.

鈥淲e have never abandoned diplomacy. We will always be present at the negotiating table, and the main reason for our presence is to defend the rights of the Iranian people,鈥� Araghchi said. 鈥淲e stand against excessive demands and rhetoric at the table.鈥�

Araghchi鈥檚 remarks came a day after Iran鈥檚 supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he didn’t expecting the negotiations to produce a deal.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don鈥檛 know,鈥� Khamenei said.

The talks seek to limit Iran鈥檚 nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on half a century of enmity.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran鈥檚 program if a deal isn鈥檛 reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to strike Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities on its own if it feels threatened, further worsening tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran鈥檚 2015 nuclear deal with world powers capped Tehran鈥檚 enrichment level at 3.67% and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). That level is enough for nuclear power plants, but far below weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Since the nuclear deal collapsed in 2018 with Trump鈥檚 unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program and enriched uranium to up to 60% purity 鈥� a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. There have also been a series of attacks at sea and on land in recent years, stemming from the tensions even before the Israel-Hamas war began.

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Associated Press writers Gabe Levin and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.