Iran will advance in the development of its nuclear program, including the reactivation of uranium enrichment, despite the “
serious damage” suffered by its facilities after the bombings by the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister
Abás Araqchi reported on Monday in an interview with
Fox News. The US actions, executed on June 22 in support of the Israeli offensive, impacted the underground uranium enrichment center of
Fordo and the nuclear power plants of
Isfahan and
Natanz.
“
It stops because, yes, the damages are serious, but, evidently, we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists”, Araqchi said during the aforementioned interview. He added that the continuation of the program has become a matter of “national pride”.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that the attacks “completely” destroyed the three Iranian sites and indicated that the White House will take new military actions if Tehran resumes its nuclear development. And this Monday, after the Chancellor’s statements, Trump reiterated that the damage to the nuclear development centers was “very severe”: “We will do it again if necessary.”
Meanwhile, Araqchi asked the United States to seek a negotiated solution to the nuclear crisis and expressed openness to inspections of the facilities, although he reiterated that Iran will not give up its “right” to uranium enrichment. “If the goal is to ensure that Iran never has nuclear weapons, it is achievable. But if it is to deprive Iran of its rights, including the right to enrichment, we have difficulties“, the minister stated.
The head of Iranian diplomacy detailed that talks will be held on Friday in Istanbul with the E3 countries (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) about the future of the Iranian nuclear program. To date, Iran has held four rounds of negotiations with these countries and five with the United States, without substantial progress due to differences over uranium enrichment.
Regarding cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Araqchi assured that it has not been interrupted, although it is pending a “new modality” after the partial destruction of the facilities. The visits of IAEA inspectors may be considered on a “case-by-case” basis by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, he clarified.
Araqchi also specified that the slogans against the United States do not imply threats against people, stating: “The supreme leader and other officials in Iran have always said that the phrase ‘Death to America’ means death to its hegemonic policies, not its people.”
Earlier this Monday, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Baghaei, referred to the new round of negotiations between Iran and the E3 countries and detailed that the Iranian delegation will be composed of Deputy Foreign Ministers Majid Takht Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi.
Araqchi had indicated on Sunday that the “focus” of the Iranian delegation in these talks “will be stronger and firmer” than before the 12-day war with Israel. Araqchi assured that after the conflict, “Iran will pursue its rights with greater force.”
Negotiations with the E3 occur after European capitals warned that, if no progress is made by the end of August, they would activate the snapback mechanism, leading to the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions against Tehran. In response, Araqchi sent letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, denouncing that the E3 “lacks legal, political and moral legitimacy” to invoke the mechanisms of the nuclear agreement and UN resolution 2231, which legally supports the pact reached in 2015. Araqchi urged European countries to avoid actions that deepen divisions in the Security Council or generate negative consequences.
Throughout the year, Iran has participated in four rounds of talks with the E3, apart from five rounds with the United States, without making progress due to disagreements over uranium enrichment. Washington demands “zero enrichment”, while Tehran insists on its right to a nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
The conversations were suspended during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13 with Israeli bombings and ended on June 24 after a truce announced by Washington, which intervened in the conflict by attacking the three main Iranian nuclear facilities.
SOURCE: INFOBAE
