Latest news with #MajidTakht-Ravanchi
Business Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Oil settles up as signs of US-Iran impasse counter economic concerns
[NEW YORK] Oil prices settled marginally higher on Monday as signs of a breakdown in US talks with Iran over its nuclear programme offset a Moody's downgrade of the US sovereign credit rating. Brent crude futures settled 13 cents higher at US$65.54 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude closed up 20 cents at US$62.69 a barrel. Both contracts rose more than 1 per cent last week. Nuclear talks will lead nowhere if Washington insists that Tehran stop its uranium enrichment activity, Iranian state media quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi as saying on Monday. That remark dented hopes for an agreement, which would have paved the way for the easing of US sanctions and allowed Iran to raise its oil exports by 300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day, StoneX analyst Alex Hodes said. 'That potential increase looks very unlikely now.' The US sovereign credit downgrade by Moody's raised questions about the economic health of the world's largest oil consuming nation. Pressure also came from news of slowing industrial output growth and retail sales in China, the top oil importer. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'The weaker-than-expected Chinese data is not helping crude oil, although I would describe the setback as modest,' said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. Additional pressure came from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments that President Donald Trump will impose tariffs at the rate he threatened last month on trading partners that do not negotiate in 'good faith.' Oil prices are likely to remain volatile for the foreseeable future as investors look for updates on the tariffs, US-Iran negotiations, and talks to end the war in Ukraine, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a call with Trump on Monday, said Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord and that efforts to end the war were on the right track. An end to the Ukraine war would pave the way for the lifting of some Western sanctions against Moscow's oil sales, potentially boosting global supply and adding more pressure to oil prices, said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. REUTERS
Jordan News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Iran: Negotiations with Washington Will Fail If It Insists on Its Demand - Jordan News
Iran: Negotiations with Washington Will Fail If It Insists on Its Demand Iran's news agency Noor News reported today, Monday, quoting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi, saying that nuclear talks with the United States "will not lead to any result" if Washington insists on Tehran completely halting uranium enrichment operations. اضافة اعلان He also added in remarks today that Iran's stance on enrichment is clear, and the authorities have repeatedly declared it a "national achievement." He continued: "We will not give up in any way our right to enrichment, and we will not accept any retreat on this issue," according to Iranian media outlets. Yesterday evening, the Iranian Foreign Minister also affirmed that there will be no concession on the country's nuclear rights, while simultaneously expressing Tehran's readiness for a "win-win" settlement, as he put it. He viewed Iran's rights to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as "non-negotiable." He also stressed that Iran will continue uranium enrichment "with or without an agreement" with international powers, while Tehran holds discussions regarding its nuclear program with Washington and Europeans. This comes in response to the U.S. President's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who yesterday confirmed that Washington will not allow Tehran even 1% of its uranium enrichment capacity, considering it a red line. He said, "Any deal that does not include preventing enrichment cannot be allowed because enrichment makes it possible to manufacture nuclear weapons." U.S. Special Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff affirmed that uranium enrichment is a "red line" for the United States, ahead of a new round of talks with Iran on Tehran's nuclear file scheduled for Sunday. He also revealed that a new meeting will be held with the Iranian delegation next week in Europe, expressing hope that it will lead to positive results. Earlier reports had indicated Washington's desire for Iran to completely stop uranium enrichment operations.
Shafaq News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iran warns US: Nuclear talks at risk over enrichment demands
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi warned that nuclear negotiations with the United States risk collapsing if Washington insists on its enrichment conditions. 'The talks will lead nowhere if the US continues to demand that Iran stop all enrichment activities,' Ravanchi confirmed to Iran's Nour News agency. The remarks followed a statement from US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who outlined a firm red line on uranium enrichment. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Witkoff reiterated that Washington would not accept 'even 1%' enrichment, describing the issue as non-negotiable. He argued that any level of enrichment could bring Iran closer to developing a nuclear weapon, which the US is determined to prevent. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the American stance, reaffirming that enrichment activities in Iran will continue for peaceful purposes. Ravanchi, in turn, proposed the idea of forming a regional nuclear consortium —including Iran, the United States, and neighboring countries—if the initiative is approached with serious intent.
Shafaq News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iran's nuclear consortium idea: Enrichment for civilian use under international oversight
Shafaq News/ Tehran is open to considering a regional nuclear consortium that includes Middle Eastern countries and the US, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Sunday. Speaking to Iran's ISNA news agency, Takht-Ravanchi confirmed that while no formal discussions have been held, Iran has received preliminary suggestions about such a proposal. 'If this idea is developed and raised seriously, we will examine it carefully and respond accordingly,' he said. The comments follow a recent New York Times report that revealed Iran had floated the concept of a multilateral nuclear consortium as an alternative to US demands for full dismantlement of its nuclear program. According to the report, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi proposed the initiative as part of ongoing backchannel talks with Washington. Under the proposed framework, Iran would be permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.67% for civilian use, with enriched material exported to Arab countries under international oversight, including American inspectors. Unlike the 2015 nuclear agreement, the consortium model would not have a fixed expiration date. The idea emerged amid resumed indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US in Muscat, Oman. The latest round—restarted after a two-week pause—marks the fourth since talks resumed earlier this year.
Nahar Net
13-05-2025
- Business
- Nahar Net
Iran says it's open to temporary uranium enrichment limits
by Naharnet Newsdesk 13 May 2025, 16:43 Iran is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment, its deputy foreign minister said Tuesday, while adding that talks with the United States have yet to address such specifics. Tehran and Washington on Sunday held their fourth round of nuclear talks, which kicked off last month, marking their highest-level contact since the United States in 2018 pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. "For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the level and volume of enrichment," said Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi. "We have not yet gone into details about the level and volume of enrichment," he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity -- far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Iran was the only country in the world without nuclear weapons that enriches uranium to that level. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at the latest talks that the right to enrich uranium was "non-negotiable", while US chief negotiator Steve Witkoff called it a "red line". The Islamic republic began rolling back its commitments to the deal a year after the U.S. withdrawal. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" approach against Tehran. While backing nuclear diplomacy, he also warned of potential military action if it fails. Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Iran described Sunday's talks as "difficult but useful" while a senior U.S. official said Washington was "encouraged" and both sides confirmed plans for future negotiations. The talks are being held in "full coordination" with the supreme leader, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to a presidency statement on Tuesday. "In the negotiations, we will not retreat from our principles in any way, but at the same time, we do not want tensions," he added. Also on Tuesday, Iran's atomic energy agency chief, Mohammad Eslami, described the country's nuclear industry as its "wealth and strength", according to ISNA news agency. Despite the talks, Washington has continued to impose sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear program and oil industry, with the latest announced on Monday. "There is no doubt that there is a lot of pressure on us," said Ali Larijani, a close adviser to Iran's supreme leader, while noting that not all of Iran's problems were due to the sanctions.
