As Switzerland Talks Begin, Pezeshkian Says Iran Won't Build Nukes: ‘We Can Give It In Writing’

As Switzerland Talks Begin, Pezeshkian Says Iran Won't Build Nukes: ‘We Can Give It In Writing’

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Last Updated: June 21, 2026, 18:07 IST

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian defends uranium enrichment rights as US-Iran peace talks open in Switzerland, Israel-Lebanon clashes threaten fragile deal.

On June 17, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the memorandum of understanding aimed to end the US-Iran war. (Image: AFP)

As talks on a memorandum of understanding to end the ongoing war in West Asia begin in Switzerland’s resort town of Bürgenstock, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday reiterated that the country was not seeking a nuclear weapon but will not relinquish its right to enrich uranium.

“What the United States demands is that Iran not build an atomic bomb. This is nothing new, and we can also state in writing that we have no intention of building a bomb," AFP quoted the president’s website.

“However, we will not relinquish our right to enrichment, and the other side will have no choice but to accept this right," he added.

Check for Live updates on US Iran war

The framework was signed on the night of June 17 at the Palace of Versailles in France. US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the memorandum.

The Sunday’s meeting is the first high-level engagement since the two sides reached a preliminary accord aimed at ending nearly four months of conflict.

Meanwhile, Seyed Mehdi Tabatabaie, Iran’s Deputy of Communications and Information Dissemination of the President’s Office, raised concerns over Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon.

“The continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon will lead to the invalidation of the entire agreement," he wrote on X, ahead of today’s talks in Switzerland.

Fars news agency quoted Iran’s lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Baghaei, saying that Iran will raise the violation of the initial peace deal.

However, Israel’s defence minister said their forces have been been ordered to act against any threat they encountered inside Lebanon.

“There has never been, and there is currently no restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon from acting to eliminate threats… As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon," Israel Katz said in a statement.

The remarks came despite Iran’s warning that it would not enter talks on a broader agreement with the US unless the attacks on Lebanon comes to an end.

While the attacks on Lebanon continue to threaten the peace talks, The New York Times reported that US Vice President JD Vance ignoring a reporter’s question about whether he had a message for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about military operations in Lebanon.

Previously, Trump has repeatedly expressed irritation over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, with Vance even saying that, “if I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world".

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First Published: June 21, 2026, 16:47 IST

News world As Switzerland Talks Begin, Pezeshkian Says Iran Won't Build Nukes: ‘We Can Give It In Writing’

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