BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 14. Any discussions or dialogue will focus on resolving issues related to Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of sanctions against Iran, said the country's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, Trend reports.
In his statement today following a meeting in Beijing between
the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, China, and Russia regarding
Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions, Gharibabadi
highlighted that a comprehensive array of topics was deliberated
during the convening, which occurred at the deputy foreign
ministers' echelon.
Central to the discourse was the imperative to abolish unilateral
and extralegal sanctions imposed on Iran, engage in constructive
dialogue and diplomatic negotiations, and cease the application of
coercive measures or military force.
He further elaborated on the causes of the current situation, specifically the US' withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the failure of the three European countries (the UK, France, and Germany) to fulfill their commitments. According to him, the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, as well as the timeline for removing Iran’s nuclear program from the Security Council’s agenda in October 2025, were also highlighted, and the necessity of avoiding any actions that could worsen the situation was underscored.
Additionally, Gharibabadi pointed out that the meeting emphasized the importance of avoiding any actions that could weaken the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) technical and impartial stance. Continuing consultations and cooperation among Iran, China, and Russia were noted, along with the strengthening of ties within international organizations and multilateral groups, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group.
To recall, on January 16, 2016, the JCPOA came into force between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany) and imposed new sanctions on Iran starting from November 2018.
By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per 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.
On February 14, the IAEA Director General Grossi reported that Iran is increasing the amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent by nearly seven times. In the coming weeks, Iran’s stock of 60 percent enriched uranium is expected to reach around 250 kilograms. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, a development that has raised international concerns.
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