TEHRAN:
Iran announced plans to hold nuclear talks this Friday with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, the three European nations behind a recent censure resolution adopted by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The discussions, involving deputy foreign ministers, will also address regional issues like Palestine and Lebanon, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
Baghaei noted the meeting continues dialogue begun in September during the UN General Assembly in New York. The announcement follows a resolution passed Thursday by the IAEA’s 35-member board, criticizing Iran for insufficient cooperation on its nuclear activities. Iran responded by activating advanced centrifuges to significantly increase uranium enrichment.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s atomic energy agency, said the nation would enhance enrichment capacity using advanced machinery. Despite this, Iran pledged to maintain “technical and safeguards cooperation” with the IAEA. During a recent visit by IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to cap its uranium enrichment at 60 percent, far below weapons-grade levels.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who supports dialogue with the West, expressed a desire to clear up doubts about Iran’s nuclear program. He reiterated Iran’s stance that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.
Tensions remain high since the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal under President Donald Trump, imposing sanctions. In response, Iran began scaling back its commitments under the agreement. The 2015 accord included a “snapback” provision allowing sanctions to be reinstated if Iran significantly violated its terms.
The U.K. confirmed the upcoming talks, reiterating its commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and potentially using snapback measures if necessary. However, Tehran has reduced cooperation with the IAEA since 2021 by limiting surveillance and barring inspectors, while enriching uranium to levels close to weapons-grade.
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