Iran nuclear deal must include uranium enrichment rights: Foreign Ministry spokesperson

TEHRAN (Iran News)  Emphasizing that zero enrichment is completely unacceptable for Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says that Iranian negotiators are not allowed to discuss a plan that disregards Iran’s rights to uranium enrichment.

In an interview on Tuesday night, Baqaei emphasized that uranium enrichment is a scientific and technological matter for Iran, as this capability is essential for the industrial, medical, and research needs of the Iranian nation.

On consortium suggestion

Regarding the suggestion of establishing a consortium to carry out nuclear activities, he said that Iran would support such a plan; however, this does not mean that the Islamic Republic would abandon enrichment within the country.

I.A.E.A. report

He also addressed Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, saying that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities have been conducted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.). Therefore, its recent report on Iran is viewed as politically motivated, as the report has been prepared based on the political agendas of three European countries (Britain, Germany, and France) along with the United States.

This report has not raised any suspicions regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, but it suggested that Iran should have cooperated more, Baqaei said, adding that this provides the European states and the U.S. with an opportunity to present an anti-Iran draft resolution to the Board of Governors. However, they should understand that such an approach in dealing with Iran will not yield fruitful results, he said.

I.A.E.A. secretary general

Baqaei further stated that I.A.E.A. Secretary General Rafael Grossi has not played a constructive role concerning Iran’s nuclear program. In his recent report, certain statements have been included that could be exploited by some member states, despite their full awareness of the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.

The spokesperson noted that Grossi conducts interviews that align with the political objectives of states opposing Iran. Grossi is expected to condemn the repeated threats from the Israeli regime and the U.S. against Iran, rather than attempting to justify these threats, he added, saying that such behavior contradicts the responsibilities of the secretary general.

Iran’s performance

Baqaei said that no country in the world has acted as responsibly as the Islamic Republic, and thus there should be no concern regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. He noted that Iran’s nuclear facilities have been inspected 493 times out of a total of 682 inspections conducted by the I.A.E.A. across nearly 32 countries, indicating that approximately 22% of the organization’s inspections have taken place in Iran.
According to Baqaei, Iran has never threatened to withdraw from its peaceful nuclear program, despite facing pressures and threats; however, Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated and certain states imposed sanctions against Iran at the United Nations Security Council.”Foreign Ministry spokesperson”

So-called concern on Iran

He further said that Iranian authorities have consistently emphasized that nuclear weapons have no place in the Islamic Republic’s military doctrine and that Iran remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (N.P.T.). However, he noted that Israeli media have been propagating against Iran’s nuclear program for 40 years, continuing to disseminate false information about Iranian nuclear activities.

Although the U.S. and Europe are fully aware that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful, they attempt to maintain tensions and threats in the region to support the Israeli regime and pursue their own political agendas.

Snapback Mechanism

Baqaei said that Europeans have raised the Snapback Mechanism over the past few months, using it as a tool for pressure; however, this indicates that they are not trustworthy.

He reiterated that Iran has never violated its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (J.C.P.O.A.), and therefore, Europeans do not have any legal or moral standing to accuse Iran of violating the deal. He stated that Iran will not give any concession under the pressure of the Snapback Mechanism.

Indirect Iran-U.S. talks

The next round of indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. is scheduled to continue Oman-mediated discussions on Sunday, Baqaei said. However, it should be noted that this round is now set for Sunday, as the other side has a history of changing its stances and statements.