'We will not abandon': The Iranian regime stands firm against Trump and rules out abandoning its uranium enrichment program

The regime in Iran ruled out on Thursday abandoning uranium enrichment, even though this has been one of the main demands made by President Donald Trump's administration to move forward with the negotiations. According to Reuters, the director of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, explained in a statement that "Enrichment is an integral part of the nuclear process, and we will not abandon it in any way. How can you claim to have a nuclear industry if you don't have the starting point of the process? The nuclear industry is the driving force of science and technology." He also described U.S. demands regarding Iran's nuclear facilities as "nothing new."

Eslami's statements came after President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was engaged in productive talks with Iran, indicating that diplomatic contacts are continuing despite persistent disagreements over the nuclear program. Through his Truth Social account, the Republican president noted that "we will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections. We are having productive talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The position expressed by the Islamic theocracy, as well as Trump's remarks, came amid a worrying deterioration of the situation in the Middle East, after the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a new security alert on Wednesday in light of the escalation between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Riyadh-backed Yemeni forces. The U.S. Mission urged its citizens to exercise the utmost vigilance due to the situation in the kingdom and the public threats made by Houthi terrorists against airports and airspace. It noted that the group has attacked Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports, and that the conflict could escalate. It also warned of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions, and recommended confirming departures directly with the airline and the airport.

The Department of State maintains a Level 3 travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, "Reconsider Travel," with some areas at Level 4, "Do Not Travel." The Department of State issued these warnings on September 15.