Enrichment or not, the West won’t shift its policy on Iran
Iran’s nuclear issue has evolved into a major flashpoint between Tehran and the West. The concessions both sides made under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, failed to settle the dispute for good, and even the military confrontation that the international community tried hard to ward off eventually broke out in June. Today, Washington’s insistence on a complete halt to enrichment in Iran and Tehran’s insistence on its inherent right under the NPT have made any kind of compromise look unattainable. Meanwhile, Western pressure through the International Atomic Energy Agency continues, with reports suggesting plans to push through a draft resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors, citing Iran’s alleged lack of cooperation. In this highly sensitive and tense climate, every step Iran takes in its foreign policy carries significant weight and could have far-reaching consequences. International affairs analyst Afifeh Abedi has told Iran Daily that the West’s hostile approach has persisted even when enrichment was halted, and that Western governments will always find a way to pile on pressure regardless of Iran’s actions.
IRAN DAILY: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that enrichment in Iran is currently halted due to the June attack on nuclear facilities, but that Iran will continue to pursue its undeniable right to enrichment. Under current circumstances, does Iran intend to restart enrichment, and what impact would such a move have on international tensions?
ABEDI: From Iran’s perspective, the right to enrichment is indisputable, and therefore a swift resumption of enrichment is very likely. While this step would certainly ratchet up tensions in the short term, Tehran sees its right to enrichment and the continuation of its peaceful nuclear program as non-negotiable. Restarting enrichment is essentially viewed as protecting decades of investment in peaceful nuclear technology.
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