BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 11. Iran has
activated a large number of centrifuges under the supervision of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and within the rights
of the member states of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei told
local media, Trend
reports.
According to him, Iran, as a responsible member of the Atomic
Energy Agency, has proven its cooperation with the agency, and the
agreements reached during the November 14-15 visit of the agency’s
director general Rafael Grossi to Tehran confirm this position.
Baghaei stated that it is regrettable that three European
countries (the UK, France, and Germany) have taken steps to approve
the anti-Iran resolution without heeding the achievements made
during the visit of the agency’s director general to Tehran, which
can serve as a basis for strengthening cooperation in the
future.
Referring to the meeting between the deputy foreign ministers of
Iran and the three European countries in Geneva on November 29, the
spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry asserted that Iran
believes in constructive cooperation based on mutual respect. At
the same time, it responds to any conflict within the framework of
legitimate rights.
“The problem that caused the current state of the Comprehensive
Joint Plan of Action is not the cessation of Iran’s peaceful
nuclear activities and the obligations stipulated in the agreement,
but the failure of some parties to fulfill their commitments in
this regard,” he said.
To note, the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a
resolution on November 21 with 19 votes in favor, 12 abstentions,
and 3 against Iran. The resolution urged Tehran to cooperate with
the International Atomic Energy Agency on a number of issues and
also called for a credible document on uranium residues at two
undeclared sites on Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, in January 2016, Iran and the P5+1 group (the US,
Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) implemented the
Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action concerning Iran’s nuclear
program.
However, in May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the
deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Two years later, Iran responded to the sanctions by implementing
a strategic plan for the nuclear sector to counter them. The
Iranian parliament made this decision at the end of 2020, leading
to the suspension of additional measures and the Additional
Protocol following the nuclear agreement.
Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.
Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue
the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the
production of weapons of mass destruction.
