The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and France, the United Kingdom and Germany will take place in Geneva in January, Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reports, citing the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
On January 13, Gharibabadi announced on Wednesday that the new round of negotiations between Iran and three European nations would take place in Geneva.
Iran and the three European countries discussed its disputed nuclear program in November. The first discussions to occur since the US presidential election came after Tehran expressed anger over a resolution opposing Iran’s nuclear cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Tehran informed the IAEA watchdog that it intends to add more uranium-enrichment centrifuges to its enrichment facilities in response to the resolution.
Without “any credible civilian justification,” the three European nations accused Iran of increasing its stockpile of high-enriched uranium to “unprecedented levels” on December 17. Additionally, they have posed the possibility of lifting Iran’s nuclear program’s sanctions to stop it from developing.
Iranian envoy Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s chief, stated to Reuters news agency in December that Iran is “dramatically” increasing its uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity, which is more in line with the roughly 90% grade for weapons.
Tehran has consistently denied any desire to develop nuclear weapons capability, despite insisting on the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Iran’s nuclear program was halted in 2015 after it agreed to end it with other world powers, including the US, over concerns about the country developing nuclear weapons.
However, Donald Trump’s administration abruptly ended Iran’s nuclear agreement with six major powers in 2018, reversing its nuclear restrictions. Tehran has taken steps to rebuild its stockpiles of enriched uranium, increase its fissile purity, and install advanced centrifuges to speed up production.
Trump said during his election campaign in September, “We have to make a deal, because the consequences are impossible, because indirect negotiations between US President Joe Biden’s administration and Tehran have failed.” We have to make a deal”.
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