Iran stresses the need of nuclear 'peaceful activities'
CAIRO: Iran said on Monday it will not accept a nuclear agreement that deprives it of what it calls "peaceful activities", a reference to uranium enrichment, as it pressed the United States for guarantees it will drop sanctions. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: "If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached."
Araghchi insisted that Iran has "nothing to hide" on its nuclear programme. "Iran has a peaceful nuclear programme... we are prepared to provide this assurance to any party or entity," he said.
The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: "We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted." "So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue," he said. — AFP
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This echoes the pragmatic ingenuity seen in Cyrus the Great's administration, which governed a vast, diverse empire through systems promoting local governance and infrastructure, fostering stability through adaptation. Strategic depth Military pressure and isolation have pushed Iran to invest heavily in building a network of regional partnerships and developing potent asymmetric capabilities. This strategy creates deterrence and extends influence far beyond its borders at a relatively low cost. Iran's advanced drone and missile technology, starkly demonstrated in operations like the April 2024 strike involving over 300 projectiles, showcases a capacity that complicates any direct military confrontation. Sanctions have demonstrably failed to halt the advancement or proliferation of these capabilities. Historically, the Safavid Empire (1501-1736) faced similar encirclement by powerful Ottoman and Mughal rivals. 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The outcome is more likely to be a nation tempered, adapted, and ultimately, stronger.
