The fifth round of “indirect” negotiations are set to be held between Iran and the United States on Friday in Rome, according to the Iranian foreign ministry. The talks, being facilitated by Oman are aimed at reviving stalled diplomacy over Iran limiting its nuclear program in exchange for lifting of economic sanctions imposed by US on the Islamic Republic.
Washington maintains that Iran’s uranium enrichment programme could lead to developing nuclear bombs, while Tehran has consistently denied the claim, insisting that its nuclear programme is meant for civilian purposes.
Ahead of the talks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no enrichment would mean “we do NOT have a deal.”
“Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science: Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide…”
Iran Will Not Back Down From Its Rights
Speaking to the national Iranian television on May 22 night, Araghchi stressed that Iran will not back down from its nuclear rights. He emphasised that his country has the right to develop its peaceful nuclear technology.
“We will not retreat from our rights. Our nuclear program–including enrichment–must continue. However, we are ready to adopt confidence-building and transparency measures and accept broader monitoring, because we are confident in the peaceful nature of our program,” he said as per state media IRNA.
CNN had in its report on May 20 quoted US officials alleging that the Israeli regime was preparing an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi according to the country’s state media IRNA warned that any Israeli adventurism targeting Iran’s nuclear sites would be met with a decisive response, as has been the case in the past.
Araghchi said he has formally notified the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran will take special measures to defend its people, interests, and nuclear facilities, with details to be disclosed to the UN and IAEA at a later date.
Araghchi conveyed these remarks in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN Security Council President Evangelos C Sekeris, and IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi on Thursday.
In a post on X, Iranian foreign minister wrote, “Threats from the rogue Israeli regime are nothing new. But the recent leak citing US officials as divulging Israeli plans for an unlawful attack on Iran and its nuclear facilities is alarming and warrants immediate and serious condemnation from the UN Security Council and the IAEA.”
In its report published on May 20, CNN had reported that US has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. “US Officials caution it’s not clear that Israeli leaders have made a final decision, and that in fact, there is deep disagreement within the US government about the likelihood that Israel will ultimately act. Whether and how Israel strikes will likely depend on what it thinks of the US negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program,” the US media outlet reported.
It said citing an unnamed source familiar with US intelligence in the issue. “But the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months,”adding that “And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”
CNN reported that Trump has publicly threatened military action against Iran if his administration’s efforts to negotiate a new nuclear deal to limit or eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program fail. In a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in mid-March, Trump set a 60-day deadline for those efforts to succeed, according to a source familiar with the communication.
Khamenei, on Tuesday said that he does not expect negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program to “reach a conclusion,” calling the US demand that Iran not enrich uranium a “big mistake.” Iran insists it has a right to enrich under the United Nations’ Treaty on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and says it will not relinquish that right under any circumstances.
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