DUBAI: The chief of Iran's nuclear agency said Thursday that protecting Tehran's right to enrich uranium is “necessary” for any ceasefire talks with the United States.

Mohammad Eslami, who leads the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, made the remarks to journalists including one from The Associated Press in Tehran, Iran, during commemorations for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“It is a part of the necessary (things) that nobody speaks about,” Eslami said, referring to the US refusal to acknowledge enrichment as one part of Iran's 10-point plan for a permanent ceasefire.

The US and Iran are due to meet in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, for talks this weekend.