September 3, 2021
The Europeans seem to be getting more and more disgusted with the Islamic Republic and its approach to the nuclear agreement.
The foreign ministries of Germany, France and Britain jointly expressed “grave concern” August 19 over the latest report from the IAEA that said Iran continues to produce uranium metal, which can be used in the production of a nuclear bomb.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said Iran has produced uranium metal enriched up to 20 percent for the first time, and has significantly increased its production capacity of regular uranium enriched up to 63 percent.
The production of uranium metal is prohibited by the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
Germany, France and Britain the western European members of the JCPOA—called the moves by Iran “serious violations” of its commitment under the JCPOA. They said that “both are key steps in the development of a nuclear weapon and Iran has no credible civilian need for either measure.”
Iran insists it is not interested in developing a bomb, and that the uranium metal is for its civilian nuclear program.
The joint European statement added, “Our concerns are deepened by the fact that Iran has significantly limited IAEA access through withdrawing from JCPOA-agreed monitoring arrangements.”
The three western European powers said, “Iran‘s activities are all the more troubling given the fact talks in Vienna have been interrupted upon Tehran’s request for two months now and that Iran has not yet committed to a date for their resumption.”
“While refusing to negotiate, Iran is instead establishing facts on the ground which make a return to the JCPOA more complicated,” the statement said.
President Raisi has said hardly anything about the talks. In a meeting August 22, 17 days after becoming President, he told the Japanese foreign minister he does not oppose the “principle of negotiation” about the nuclear deal hardly a ringing endorsement. Most importantly, he has said nothing about a date for returning to the talks. The last meeting was in June.
Then on August 31, Foreign Minister Hossain Amir-Abdollahian said the new government needed two to three months to work out its policy for the nuclear issue, suggesting it would not be ready to return to the talks before November.
According to the Mehr news agency, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said the talks were stalled as a result of US actions, saying, “The only way out of the stalemate created by the United States is to guarantee the Iranian people’s rights.” But the talks have been on hold since June because Iran said it could not resume talks until after Raisi took office.