BICOM

With Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) set to resume talks on a long-term nuclear agreement, Iran’s leading negotiator has warned that if negotiations fail, Tehran will resume high-level enrichment.

In November, the two sides agreed a six-month arrangement whereby Iran curbed some of its enrichment activity in return for a loosening of international sanctions. Both sides have agreed that they will aim to broker a longer-term arrangement by 20 July. However, attempts to achieve this have made little headway. Talks in Vienna last month between P5+1 representatives and Iranian officials ended without any tangible progress. Another round of talks is scheduled for next week.

In advance of this, a high-level American delegation met with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva this week. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is Tehran’s lead nuclear negotiator, described the bilateral talks with the United States as “constructive.” However, speaking at a conference in Rome yesterday, Reuters reports that Araqchi warned that, “Iran will return to 20 per cent enrichment if a deal cannot be reached … failure to reach a deal will be a disaster for everyone.” Uranium which is enriched to 20 per cent is considered just a small step away from weapons grade quality.

Also this week, France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French radio that the P5+1 talks with Iran are “hitting a wall on one absolutely fundamental point,” namely the number of centrifuges Iran would be permitted under a deal. Fabius said that P5+1 leaders envisaged hundreds, while Iran wants thousands of centrifuges.

However, it was also reported by Reuters that Iran may agree to reduce its plutonium production at the Arak heavy water plant, another major point of contention in the negotiations, as plutonium can be used to help trigger a nuclear explosion. Apparently, Iran will agree to reduce plutonium production to less than 1kg, with Reuters suggesting that 9-10kg is considered enough plutonium for one or two nuclear bombs.