BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17. Iran has consistently demonstrated a willingness to engage in dialogue and accept specific promises to foster confidence in its nuclear program, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters, Trend reports.
He explained that the main topic of the ongoing discussions between Iran and the US revolves around nuclear issues. Some parties have raised concerns about Iran's nuclear program, but Gharibabadi emphasized that these concerns are baseless.
"The Iranian nuclear program is under continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and its peaceful nature has been repeatedly confirmed. To date, no report has been issued suggesting that this program is being directed towards military purposes," he noted.
On April 12, indirect talks between Iran and the US on Iran’s nuclear program were held in Muscat, Oman. The discussions, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and the US Special Representative for Middle East Affairs, Steve Winkoff, were described as constructive and based on mutual respect. The next round of talks is scheduled for April 19.
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 of 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 March 3, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA, mentioned during the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting that Iran has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity by 93 kilograms, from 182 kilograms to 275 kilograms, compared to the previous quarter. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, raising significant concerns.
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