Iranian Vice President and Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, confirmed today that his country is committed to not developing or proliferating nuclear weapons. In statements to the Russian news agency Sputnik, Eslami, who is in Moscow to meet with Russian nuclear officials, stated that Iran is committed to complying with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
He asserted that Iran adheres to the law within the framework of guarantees and is working to uphold its commitment to the NPT, claiming that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and that the level of enrichment is sufficient for implementing peaceful projects. He overlooked that last week, Iran had prevented International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from accessing surveillance cameras at one of its nuclear facilities in Karaj. The IAEA had deemed Iran's decision inconsistent with the agreed terms of the joint statement issued on September 12.
**Uncertainty Surrounding Negotiations**
This comes at a time when the fate of the nuclear talks with Iran, as well as the timing and manner of their resumption, remains uncertain. An official from the European Union announced on Thursday that talks would be held soon, while Iran emphasized the need to implement the provisions related to lifting sanctions in the nuclear agreement.
EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell stated that talks with Iran to revive the nuclear agreement would resume soon, believing they would resume at the right time and that the EU and its partners would continue to work together on this matter.
**Iran: Past Rounds Were Unhelpful**
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, in an interview with the French newspaper "Le Monde," confirmed that nuclear talks "will certainly take place." He revealed that the new government led by Ibrahim Raisi views the six rounds of talks held in Vienna to revive the nuclear deal as unproductive, and the government will only accept promises based on lifting U.S. sanctions.
He mentioned that in the nuclear discussion, Iran does not accept "more than the nuclear agreement" and does not expect anything "less than the implementation of the provisions related to lifting sanctions."
**Negotiation Door Will Not Be Open Forever**
It is noteworthy that the U.S. and Europe have repeatedly warned Tehran that the door for negotiations would not remain open indefinitely and that additional sanctions might be imposed on Iran if it does not return to negotiations. A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry called on Iran to return to talks without delay on Thursday, so that both sides can quickly conclude discussions regarding Iran's return to its commitments and the U.S. return to the nuclear agreement.
The nuclear talks, which began in Vienna in April 2021, have been stalled since June last year, after six rounds of negotiations that did not resolve all outstanding issues between Tehran and the remaining five countries in the nuclear agreement, namely the UK, China, France, Germany, and Russia, along with the U.S., which participated in those negotiations indirectly.
