Tehran is ready to reduce the amount of its enriched uranium to 60 percent in exchange for the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Iran, Mohammad Eslami, vice president and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said on Monday. According to the agency, it was not clear from his statement whether he meant all sanctions against the country or only those imposed on it by the United States. TASR informs about it.
- Iran is willing to reduce uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
- It is not clear whether Iran is asking for the lifting of all or just US sanctions.
- Indirect nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran took place in Oman.
- The US continues to insist that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons.
- Iran says it will never give up its nuclear program.
US and Iranian officials held indirect talks last week, brokered by Oman. The talks have focused exclusively on Iran’s nuclear program, while the US has previously urged that Tehran’s support for militant groups in the Middle East, its ballistic missile program and a crackdown on recent anti-government protests also be discussed.
The uranium dilution debate
“Finally, in response to a question about the possibility of diluting uranium enriched to 60 percent purity… the head of the AEOI said that it depends on whether all sanctions are lifted in return,” IRNA quoted Eslami as saying. He was referring to a process in which highly enriched uranium is mixed with other materials in order to reduce its level of enrichment so that the final product does not exceed a specified limit.
Tehran described the progress of the negotiations in Oman as positive, but soon after Washington announced new sanctions aimed at limiting the export of oil from Iran. Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the next round of talks will take place early this week.
US emphasizes attitude
At the same time, the head of the White House emphasized the US position that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons. After recently escalating threats against Tehran, he appeared conciliatory aboard Air Force One during the flight to his Mar-a-Lago, Florida residence, saying there was “plenty of time” to negotiate a deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that his country would never give up uranium enrichment, even if “a war was forced upon it”. Iran refuses to give up its nuclear program, saying it is a domestic matter. At the same time, he repeats that he is not trying to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The historical context of the agreement
Since taking office last January, Trump has renewed his “maximum pressure policy” on Iran. Already during the first term of office in 2018, he resigned from the so-called of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the major powers concluded in 2015. According to it, sanctions on Iran were eased in exchange for limiting its nuclear activities. In response to the US withdrawal, Tehran gradually stopped complying with the terms of the agreement and made significant progress in its nuclear program. Negotiations on a possible new deal were disrupted by a brief war between Israel and Iran last June.
