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Iran's atomic energy chief, Mohammad Eslami, said no country can deprive the Islamic Republic of its right to nuclear enrichment, as U.S. President Donald Trump again hinted at military action and convened senior advisers to review options, including a potential strike.
"The basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment. Whatever you want to do in the nuclear process, you need nuclear fuel," Eslami said in a video published by Etemad daily on Thursday.
"Iran's nuclear program is proceeding according to the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and no country can deprive Iran of the right to peacefully benefit from this technology," he noted.
Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran denies having such military ambitions but insists on its right to the technology for civilian purposes.
President Trump met with top White House advisers on Wednesday to assess developments with Iran and consider potential next steps, including diplomatic negotiations and military options, Axios reported.
"The gathering included Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, senior adviser Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other high-ranking officials," according to two U.S. officials.
Trump was briefed on this week's nuclear discussions held with Iranian representatives in Geneva and reviewed possible options moving forward.
Officials reportedly cautioned that any U.S. military action targeting Iran could escalate beyond a limited strike and potentially evolve into a broader and prolonged conflict, contrasting with the more contained operation conducted in Venezuela in January.
CNN reported that U.S. forces are prepared for a potential strike against Iran in the coming days, though Trump has not yet made a final decision.
Officials told the White House that forces could be in position to launch a strike as early as this weekend following significant air and naval deployments to the Middle East.
One source told CNN that Trump has privately expressed mixed views about military action and has sought input from advisers and allies on the most appropriate path forward.
Trump again suggested Wednesday the U.S. might strike Iran in a post on Truth Social.
He warned Britain against giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying the archipelago's Diego Garcia airbase might be needed were Iran not to agree to a deal "to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime."
Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement and deployed a significant naval force to the region, which he has described as an "armada."
After sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and escort battleships to the Gulf in January, he recently indicated that a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, would depart "very soon" for the Middle East.
The comments follow the second round of Oman-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva on Tuesday.
The two adversaries held an initial round of discussions on February 6 in Oman, the first since previous talks collapsed during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.
The United States briefly joined the war alongside Israel, striking Iranian nuclear facilities.
Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment but has also sought to address Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups in the region—issues Israel has pushed to include in the talks.
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