
Iranian president vows to continue uranium enrichment
i24NEWSApril 09, 2022, 08:22 AMlatest revision April 09, 2022, 03:50 PM
Comments come amid another stalemate in talks on nuclear deal
Iran will continue to enrich uranium as talks to salvage the nuclear deal with world powers are at a standstill, President Ebrahim Raisi said Saturday.
Eleven months of indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Vienna on reviving the 2015 deal stalled as both sides say political decisions are required by Tehran and Washington to settle the outstanding issues.
Speaking in a ceremony celebrating Iran’s national day of nuclear technology, the conservative Islamist said his administration will support an acceleration in research of “peaceful nuclear technology.”
“Our knowledge and technology in the nuclear field is not reversible. Iran’s (continuation of) research in peaceful nuclear fields will not depend on others’ demands or viewpoints,” Raisi was quoted as saying by state media.
The US and Israel are concerned that Iran could be closer to a nuclear weapon.
The nuclear deal collapsed four years ago when former president Donald Trump withdrew the United States and imposed sanctions on Iran. In the meantime, Iran accomplished a significant expansion of its controversial nuclear program.
While Iran has insisted that its nuclear program has had peaceful purposes, US and Israel dismiss the claim.