"Sovereign Enrichment": Pezeshkian Tells Macron Iran is Open to a Deal with the US, Provided Civil Nuclear Rights are Upheld

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian informed French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, that Tehran is ready for a diplomatic agreement with Washington, but only under international laws that recognize its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. While Tehran is willing to offer "strict oversight" by the IAEA and reduce high-level enrichment, it refuses to grant President Donald Trump concessions that it believes he failed to secure on the battlefield.

The Deadlock:

The insistence on domestic enrichment, alongside disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, remains the primary hurdle. Tehran argues that international standards do not prohibit enrichment on its soil, provided there are no military objectives—a point that led to the collapse of the first Islamabad round.