U.S. Reaffirms Zero Tolerance on Uranium Enrichment; Iranian Foreign Minister Calls Remarks Unrealistic

On May 18, 2025, U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Issues, Brett McGurk, emphasized in an interview with American media that any agreement between the U.S. and Iran must include provisions for Iran to halt uranium enrichment activities. He made it clear that the U.S. maintains a “zero tolerance” red line regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities—“The U.S. will not allow Iran to have even 1% uranium enrichment capacity.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on the same day that the U.S. remarks are completely detached from reality. He stated that if the U.S. genuinely wants Iran to abandon nuclear weapons development, both sides can reach an agre