Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatens to end nuclear talks with European officials after UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson seemingly backed US calls for "zero enrichment" in Iran. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has threatened to halt all discussions with European officials regarding its nuclear program following comments made by Peter Mandelson, the UK ambassador to Washington, that appeared to align with US demands for the elimination of Iran's uranium enrichment facilities, The Guardian reported.
Araghchi took to social media on Wednesday, stating, "If the UK position is 'zero enrichment' in Iran, there is nothing left for us to discuss on the nuclear issue." He further asserted that such a request constitutes a "clear violation" of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and breaches Britain's commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the official name of the Iranian nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers.
Under the terms of the JCPoA, Iran is permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.75% purity, subject to an "intrusive inspection regime." Speaking later to reporters during a visit to Oman, Araghchi reiterated his stance and said, "This tweet was in response to a British official who had talked about zero enrichment. I said there explicitly that we continued our consultations with three European countries during this period, but if their position is zero enrichment, we will no longer have any talks with them about nuclear issues." (Read More)
