While the representatives of Iran and the three European countries, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, meet on Friday, November 29 in Geneva to talk about the nuclear issue, the tone is still rising between the two parties. Tehran notably called on the European Union to abandon behavior deemed “ irresponsible », while the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran wants to install some 6,000 new and powerful centrifuges.
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Iran and the three European countries meet again after several years to talk about the nuclear issue. And this while President Donald Trump is due to take office in less than 40 days, reports our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi.
The number two in European diplomacy Enrique Mora said he had a “ frank discussion » in Geneva with Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi, two deputies of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. This one carried “ on Iran’s support for Russia, which must end, on the nuclear issue, which must find a diplomatic solution, on regional tensions — it is important that all parties avoid escalation — and human rights “, he said on X.
Mr. Gharibabadi, for his part, considered that Europe had “not failed to be a serious actor » on the nuclear issue, after the return since 2018 of American sanctions against Tehran which the Europeans opposed. The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of legal issues also called on Friday on X the EU to abandon behavior deemed “ irresponsible » by Tehran on a series of international issues, in particular the war in Ukraine and Gaza.
Commissioning of some 6,000 of the most powerful centrifuges
For Tehran, the aim of the talks is to avoid a situation “ doubly disastrous » which would place Iran once again facing the policy of “ maximum pressure » by Donald Trump. With the addition, this time, that of the Europeans, Iranian political scientist Mostafa Shirmohammadi explains to AFP.
In a report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Iran’s plans to start up some 6,000 new centrifugesnotably the IR6 which are the most powerful and modern that Iran possesses. This will significantly increase Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities. Tehran has not given a timetable.
But above all, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi once again threatened, during an interview with the British daily The Guardianthat Iran could change its nuclear doctrine and move towards the manufacture of atomic weapons if the West increases the pressure against Iran. He also threatened that the West would trigger the mechanism which would allow the return of UN sanctions suspended since the 2015 agreement.
The production of atomic weapons is no longer a taboo subject. Experts, MPs but also representatives of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been calling for several months for Iran to change its doctrine and produce atomic weapons in the face of Israeli and American threats.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power since 1989 in Iran, has banned any use of atomic weapons in a religious decree. “ There is a debate right now in Iran that maybe this was bad policy “, said Abbas Araghchi Guardian. If the Europeans reimpose sanctions against Tehran, “ they will then have convinced everyone in Iran that, yes, this doctrine is wrong “, he insisted, saying to himself “ pessimistic » on the outcome of the Geneva discussions.
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