Minister says Iran intends to continue nuclear enrichment programme

Iran will intends to continue its nuclear enrichment programme, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News aired on Monday.

"We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," Araghchi told Fox News. "Our enrichment is so dear to us."

Israel attacked Iran on June 13, bombing targets across the country. The Israeli government cited Tehran's controversial nuclear programme as justification and its suspicions that Iran plans to build a nuclear bomb. Iran, which denies this, responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel.

After 12 days of war, during which the US dropped its most powerful conventional weapons on a key Iranian nuclear site, a ceasefire is now in place.

Araghchi said Iran's nuclear facilities had been "seriously" damaged in the US strikes and all enrichment capabilities had ceased for the time being.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran again if the country enriched uranium to a higher level.

Negotiations between Iran and the so-called E3 states - Germany, France and the United Kingdom - are planned for Friday.

The meeting is to take place in Istanbul at the level of deputy foreign ministers, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, according to the web portal of the daily newspaper Etemad.

Tehran is hoping for sanctions imposed on Iran to be lifted, while the United States and European countries are seeking to limit Iranian uranium enrichment and progress towards a nuclear weapon. Tehran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is peaceful.