Iran Not To Halt Nuclear Activities until Sanctions Are Fully Lifted

By Staff, Agencies 

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs Abbas Araqchi confirmed that his country will not stop any of its nuclear-related activities until Washington lifts the whole sanctions and returns to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Emphasizing on Iran’s principle stance on lifting of sanctions, Araqchi said that Tehran will not halt or even reduce the pace of its nuclear activities in particular in uranium enrichment sector.

“The 20 percent enrichment of uranium is going forward even with the faster pace than the speed that the Iranian parliament envisaged in its law,” he said, adding that “20 percent enriched uranium are being produced now.”

The Iranian official further underscored “The trend will go on until an accord will be reached, which will oblige the US to lift all of its sanctions,” stressing that “The whole sanctions should be lifted in one stage.”

He also pointed to the negotiations with Europeans, Russia and China, noting that the claim that Iran is discussing with Europeans and they are holding talks with the Americans is not true, because the Iranian delegation in Vienna are negotiating with a set of current member states of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], including the UK, France, Germany as well as Russia and China; then, they put forward the issue with the US in a way they know themselves.

Araqchi went on to say that there are signs that the Americans are reviewing their own stance and move forward to lift all sanctions, but the Iranian side is not still in a position to make a judgement, because the negotiations have not been finalized.

According to the Iranian diplomat, a long way is still ahead; although, the pace of negotiation is moving forward and the atmosphere of the talks are constructive.