Today, Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed that the nuclear agreement is still on the table, and that negotiations and exchange of messages are continuing with the United States, with the aim of reaching a strong, good and sustainable agreement.
Abdullahian pointed to tensions with 4 parties, the United States, Britain, France and Germany, which initiated the issuance of a resolution criticizing Tehran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency on November 17 in Vienna.
The foreign minister said that despite the non-constructive positions taken by the three European countries and Washington in the past eight weeks, talks to lift sanctions with the US side through the European Union were on the agenda.
Attempts to find a solution
Abdollahian expressed hope that EU negotiators would try to break the deadlock in talks aimed at reviving the nuclear deal with the major powers.
He also said that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and EU coordinator for talks Enrique Mora were "trying to find a solution".
Abdollahian indicated that two main problems must be resolved, which are the questions of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the economic guarantees that Iran demands.
With regard to the file of the relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Iranian minister said that one of the points of contention that delays reaching an agreement is the relationship with this agency, stressing that its work should not deviate from technical issues and become political.
In 2015, Iran concluded an agreement on its nuclear program with 6 major powers, namely the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, after years of tension and arduous negotiations.
However, the effects of the agreement have almost disappeared since former US President Donald Trump decided to unilaterally withdraw his country from the agreement in 2018, and re-impose harsh sanctions on Iran.
Uranium enrichment
In the meantime, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad Islamic, considered that raising the level of uranium enrichment in the Fordow reactor comes within the laws of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He said in a statement that putting pressure on his country will not undermine its rights.
A joint British, French, German statement condemned what it called "the expansion of Iran's nuclear program."
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, consisting of 35 countries, approved Thursday a resolution ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the agency's investigation into traces of uranium that were found in 3 undeclared sites, and this is the second decision targeting Iran this year regarding this investigation.
According to estimates by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has increased its stockpile of pure, fissile uranium to 62.3 kilograms, up from 55.6 kilograms.
It is noteworthy that Iran is not entitled - according to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015, and what is taking place in the negotiations to revive it - to possess inside more than 202 kilograms of enriched uranium with a purity of 3.67% allowed in the agreement for its uranium enrichment.