Tehran (TDI): Iran announced on Sunday that it would hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that had initiated a censure resolution against it, which was adopted by the UN’s atomic watchdog.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom would meet on Friday, although he did not specify a location.
The talks will cover a broad range of regional and international issues, including the situations in Palestine and Lebanon, as well as Iran’s nuclear program, according to Baghaei’s statement reported by the official IRNA news agency.
He emphasized that these discussions would build upon previous talks held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
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Baghaei stated, “In this round of talks, which were planned in New York, a variety of regional and international issues, including those concerning Palestine and Lebanon, in addition to nuclear matters, will be addressed,” as quoted by IRNA.
Additionally, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Iranian diplomatic sources confirmed nuclear talks with the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union would take place on November 29, aiming to explore ways to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.
This announcement follows Thursday’s adoption of a resolution by the 35-nation board of governors of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), condemning Iran for its lack of cooperation. The resolution came amid rising tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
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In response, Iran declared it would begin operating a “series of new and advanced centrifuges.”
These centrifuges are used to enrich uranium by rotating it at high speeds, thereby increasing the proportion of the fissile isotope U-235.
Iran’s atomic energy organization spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, told state television, “We will significantly boost our enrichment capacity by utilizing various types of advanced machines.”
Despite this move, Iran also reiterated its commitment to continuing “technical and safeguards cooperation” with the IAEA.
During a recent visit to Tehran by IAEA head Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to limit its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, in line with the agency’s demands.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July and is a proponent of dialogue with Western nations, has expressed his desire to eliminate “doubts and ambiguities” surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement that lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
However, the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump and reimposed harsh economic sanctions.
On Sunday, the United Kingdom confirmed the upcoming meeting between Iran and the three European countries.
A statement from the UK Foreign Office reiterated its commitment to diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including through the “snapback” mechanism if necessary.
