Senior officials from Iran and Europe’s E3 powers — France, Britain, and Germany — met in Geneva on Tuesday amid escalating tensions over Tehran‘s stalled compliance with its nuclear obligations, according to a Report published by Reuters. The Europeans, the report said, demanded that Iran restart nuclear inspections and engage in diplomacy or face the reimposition of United Nations sanctions dropped under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The E3 are reportedly planning to decide by the end of August whether to trigger the so-called “snapback“ of sanctions before the agreement expires on October 18.
“We are going to see whether the Iranians are credible about an extension or whether they are messing us around. We want to see whether they have made any progress on the conditions we set to extend,“ one E3 official told the news agency.
According to the report, key conditions laid out by the E3 delegation include resuming inspections, accounting for Iran‘s enriched uranium stockpile, and engaging in diplomacy, even though Tehran has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with the US. Most recently, the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the current situation with the US “unsolvable” and indicated that Tehran would never bow to pressure to please Washington.
“They want Iran to be obedient to America. The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Khamenei was reported as saying.
Uranium Enrichment and Site Access Dispute
Israel and the US — allied with the E3 — have justified recent strikes on Iran‘s nuclear facilities, claiming that Tehran was rapidly advancing toward weapon-grade capabilities. Iran, for its part, has denied any intent to build nuclear weapons, though the country had enriched uranium to 60% purity, which experts believe is close to weapons-grade. Reports also suggest that Tehran had enough material for six weapons before the June attacks.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that there’s no credible indication of a coordinated weapons program in Iran but acknowledged that its inspectors can‘t access damaged facilities.
“Due to the damage to our nuclear sites, we need to agree on a new plan with the agency — and we have conveyed that to IAEA officials,“ an Iranian official told Reuters.
Tensions Rise as Time Runs Out
Analysts and Western officials, meanwhile, have expressed concern that Iran may be attempting to delay progress through stalling tactics. The E3 is meeting in Geneva to assess whether such claims have substance. Iran has warned of a “harsh response” should sanctions be reinstated.
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