Iran steadfastly declines calls for halting uranium enrichment in pursuit of an American agreement
Tehran, Iran, has ruled out suspending uranium enrichment as part of any potential nuclear deal with the United States, defying a key demand from Washington in ongoing negotiations between the two countries.
The stalemate over uranium enrichment has been a central issue in recent talks, with Iran maintaining its right to enrich uranium as part of its civilian nuclear program, while the U.S. seeks to halt this activity. The high-level dialogue, which commenced in April, marks the first significant contact between the two adversaries since the U.S. withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during former President Donald Trump's tenure.
U.S. President Joe Biden has reactivated his predecessor's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, combining diplomacy with warnings of potential military action if negotiations fail. Iran, on the other hand, is seeking a newer deal that would alleviate the economic strain caused by sanctions.
Western governments and Israel harbor suspicions that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapon development, a charge Tehran vehemently denies. The ongoing discussions, mediated by Oman in Rome, concluded with "some but not conclusive progress," according to the Omani mediator. Iran's Foreign Minister and lead negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, expressed that the negotiations are too complex to be resolved in a few meetings.
Iran insists that it is entitled to a civilian nuclear program, including for energy purposes, and considers the U.S. demand for the suspension of enrichment to be a breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Iran is a signatory.
Since the recent talks, Iran's uranium enrichment capacity has increased, with Iran now enriching uranium up to 60%, well beyond the 3.67% cap mandated by the 2015 accord. Experts have suggested that uranium enriched beyond 20% can be rapidly escalated to weapons-grade levels.
No date has been set for the next round of talks, as per Iran's foreign ministry. The discussions precede a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, where Iran's nuclear activities will be scrutinized. They also occur before the October expiry of the 2015 accord, which aimed to ease international concerns about Iran's nuclear aspirations.
- The ongoing policy-and-legislation dispute over Iran's uranium enrichment, a central point in war-and-conflicts discussions, has led to a stalemate in recent policy-and-legislation talks.
- The United States, under President Joe Biden, has maintained a hard-line policy-and-legislation approach, combining diplomacy with implicit threats of military action, as Iran seeks General-news relief from economic sanctions.
- Despite the International Atomic Energy Agency's scrutiny and the impending expiry of the 2015 nuclear accord, Iran remains unyielding, insisting on its right to a civilian nuclear program, including for energy purposes, as outlined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a position it maintains despite allegations of nuclear weapon development.
