Iranian nuclear industry: the time has come for the resumption of negotiations

The main Iranian negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kan.

Tolga Akmen AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Meeting under high tension this Monday, November 29 in Austria.

With the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the great powers in Vienna, home of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the objective is to try to resuscitate the 2015 agreement, which has by the following largely derailed at the instigation of the United States.

Advertising

Read more

Trump's United States left the deal so difficult to find in Vienna under Obama, and reinstated sanctions, which are choking the Iranian economy.

Then Iran had gradually revived activities beyond the limits.

You have to start all over again.

It is a strong Iranian delegation, made up of around forty members and led by

, a rather harsh conservative, who agreed to go to Vienna to do this, notes our correspondent in Tehran,

.

The tone is rather firm, on the Iranian side: Ali Bagheri Kani, who represents a government less inclined to dialogue than under the Rouhani era, declared that the primary objective was the end of all American sanctions, and so verifiable.

He added that Iran does not trust the West and will not repeat the mistakes of the past.

" 

 " promises the head of the delegation sent by Tehran.

►Read again: Tehran adopts a closed position, the negotiations promise to be difficult

Civil nuclear program?

The Islamic Republic rejected the request of

, the United States, but also of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, who wanted the nuclear "gendarme" that the IAEA could do better. monitor Iran's activities in this area.

In particular in the Karaj site, near Tehran.

Iran produces state-of-the-art and faster centrifuges there, which allow the country to further accelerate its program to enrich uranium, an old sea serpent.

The country today is enriching uranium to a degree that has nothing to do with a civilian program, and its stockpile of nuclear material is swelling dangerously, as the International Atomic Energy Agency notes in each of its reports.

For a year, Iran has considerably limited its cooperation with the UN agency.

Under these conditions, these negotiations caused by the coming to power of Joe Biden, on the Washington side, look rather difficult and could drag on.

►Read also: The rise of Iran's nuclear capacities worries

Total failure is not excluded

At Coburg Palace, the new Iranian negotiating team will have direct talks with Chinese, Russian, French, British and German representatives, as well as indirect talks with US envoy Robert Malley.

Several bilateral meetings have already taken place this Sunday in the Austrian capital, explains our special envoy on the spot, 

, and all scenarios are possible at this stage, including the total failure of the discussions.

For the group of powers, the stake is just as clear as for Iran: it is to ensure that this country cannot acquire the atomic bomb.

There remains the idea of ​​an interim agreement which would allow the tension to be lowered to facilitate dialogue.

► On the same subject: Washington and the IAEA deplore the impasse with Tehran

One country fiercely opposes dialogue

: Israel

" 

".

When it comes to Iran, Israeli doctrine is clear, explains a diplomatic source familiar with the matter.

The Hebrew state advocates the strong way against Tehran, and tries to find allies in its crusade, translates our correspondent in Jerusalem,

.

Tel Aviv is convinced that no dialogue is possible with Tehran.

According to Israeli officials, the Mullahs' regime understands only one language: force.

So the only way to make him listen to reason, so that his nuclear program remains purely civilian, is to put an armed offensive on the table, details the same source.

While the Europeans, the Americans, the Russians and the Chinese want to give diplomacy a chance, the Israelis, for their part, " 

 ".

They are stepping up meetings with the great powers, with their new Arab allies in the Gulf, in the hope of setting up a large military coalition that would dissuade the Islamic Republic from responding to an Israeli attack.

But at the moment, no one wants to follow them in their campaign.

Even though the Israelis are already facing the Iranians through shadow battles of cyberattacks and mutual clandestine aggression, the Hebrew state does not wish to go into a declared war with the Islamic Republic on its own, the source concludes. diplomatic.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Iran

• Nuclear