(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Iran has expressed
willingness to continue the negotiations on its nuclear program, as
long as they serve its national interests, Trend reports.
The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Nasser Kanaani, said at a press conference in Tehran on October 2,
2023, that Iran considers the discussions to be an appropriate
process for all parties (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and
Germany) to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA).
The JCPOA is the 2015 nuclear deal that was signed by Iran and
the world powers, which aimed to limit Iran's nuclear activities in
exchange for sanctions relief. However, the deal was abandoned by
the US in 2018, which re-imposed sanctions on Iran. Iran then
reduced its compliance with the deal, and increased its uranium
enrichment and stockpile.
Kanaani said that negotiations are important for Iran so that
all parties can responsibly return to the JCPOA. He said that Iran
welcomes and supports the good faith efforts of friendly countries,
such as Oman, to bring the positions of the parties closer
together.
The spokesman added that Iran will remain committed to the
negotiation process as long as it serves the country's national
interests. He said that the unknown situation for JCPOA is the
result of the US unilaterally abandoning this plan.
On January 16, 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the
creation of the JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia,
China, UK, France, and Germany). However, on May 8, 2018, the US
announced its withdrawal 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 against
Iran as of November 2018.
The sanctions affected Iranian oil exports and more than 700
banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in
the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a
strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the
non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of
sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian
parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of
additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the
nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA
decreased by 20–30 percent.
Iran discloses various programs related to its nuclear industry
to reflect that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
However, according to the information obtained by the International
Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has increased the amount of highly
enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and
currently, the country's enriched uranium reserves are 4,745
kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed
for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran is currently looking for various ways to resume discussions
with the other parties regarding its nuclear program and eventually
restore the JCPOA.
The country is mainly trying to achieve the abolition of
sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries, the removal of
its funds frozen abroad, and the abolition of the restriction on
the export of crude oil. In return, the US and Western countries
want Iran not to acquire an atomic bomb, to keep its nuclear
program under control, and to reduce the level of uranium
enrichment.
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