Latest news with #NuclearNonproliferationTreaty
Observer
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Iran-US nuclear talks: What's at stake?
Iran and the United States made modest progress during talks in Rome over the future of Iran's nuclear programme, an intermediary said Friday after the fifth round of such discussions. The two sides met for a little less than three hours and had 'some but not conclusive progress,' Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al Busaidi said. The fifth round of Iran-US talks concluded in Rome with some but not conclusive progress. We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honourable agreement. From Rome, I wish to thank our Italian friends for hosting us again for the talks and for their strong support for peace and security," he said. The main issue at stake in the latest round of talks was Washington's demand that Iran halt all nuclear enrichment and dismantle all of its centrifuges. Iran has insisted that it will not give up the right to nuclear enrichment at lower levels as guaranteed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is trying to find a formula that works, and the fact that the talks did not break up in acrimony was viewed as positive. It also suggests that Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister — Witkoff's counterpart in the discussions — will need to consult with Iran's leadership over how to proceed. Araghchi said that 'this round was one of the most professional stages of negotiations that we have experienced so far,' according to the Tasnim news agency. 'Our positions are completely clear and we stand by them,' he said, adding: 'It seems that now there is a clearer and more precise understanding of these positions on the American side.' A senior American official said in a statement that 'the talks continue to be constructive — we made further progress, but there is still work to be done.' Both sides agreed to meet again soon, the official said. Still, it was clear that the core disagreement over enrichment had not been resolved. Both Iran and the United States have said they want to resolve their decades-old dispute over Iran's nuclear activities, with Tehran exchanging limits on its nuclear program for the lifting of harsh U.S. and international economic sanctions. Here's what to know about the Iran-U.S. nuclear talks so far. What happened in previous talks? At the previous round of talks, in Oman on May 11, Iran proposed the creation of a joint nuclear-enrichment venture involving regional Arab countries and American investments as an alternative to Washington's demand that it dismantle its nuclear program, according to four Iranian officials familiar with the plan. Araghchi proposed the idea, originally floated in 2007, to Witkoff, according to the Iranian officials. A spokesperson for Witkoff denied that the proposal had come up. But since then, Witkoff has outlined a harder administration position. 'An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again, that's our red line,' Witkoff said in an interview this month with Breitbart News. 'No enrichment. That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization, and it means that Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan — those are their three enrichment facilities — have to be dismantled.' Earlier meetings included the nuts-and-bolts expert talks, which brought together nuclear and financial teams from both sides to hash out technical details, such as the monitoring of Iran's nuclear facilities and what would happen to its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, along with easing sanctions. Trump has defined the objective of the negotiations as preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But achieving that goal would not address other concerns about Iran's advanced missile program. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghai, has said that the issue of the country's defense and missile abilities had 'not been and will not be raised in indirect negotiations with the United States.' What's at stake? The talks have the potential to reshape regional and global security by reducing the chance of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and preventing Iran from producing a nuclear weapon. A deal could also transform Iran's economic and political landscape by easing American sanctions and opening the country to foreign investors. Both the United States and Israel have vowed that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon; Iran insists that its nuclear program is civilian only. But Iran has been enriching uranium to around 60% purity, just short of the levels needed to produce a weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and the IAEA has said it has not found signs of weaponization. If its nuclear facilities are attacked, Iran has said it would retaliate fiercely and would consider leaving the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Iran's economy and the future of its 90 million people are also on the line. Years of sanctions have created chronic inflation. Now, many Iranians say they feel trapped in a downward spiral and hope that a US-Iran deal would help. What are the sticking points? The question of whether to allow Iran to continue enriching uranium has divided Trump's advisers. Witkoff had earlier described a possible agreement that would allow Iran to enrich uranium at the low levels needed to produce fuel for energy, along with monitoring. But he now says that total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear enrichment program is the American bottom line. Iran's new proposal entails the establishment of a three-country nuclear consortium in which Iran would enrich uranium to a low grade, below that needed for nuclear weapons, and then ship it to certain Arab countries for civilian use, according to the Iranian officials and news reports. Iranian officials have said they are willing to reduce enrichment levels to those specified in the 2015 nuclear agreement with the Obama administration — about 3.5% — around the level needed to produce fuel for nuclear power plants. But in a recent podcast interview, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Iran could have a civilian nuclear program without enriching uranium domestically — by importing enriched uranium, as other countries do. How did we get here? The two sides came into the negotiations with deep distrust. The previous deal between Iran and the United States and other world powers, signed during the Obama administration, was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It put measures in place to prevent Iran from weaponizing its nuclear program by capping enrichment of uranium at about 3.5%, transferring stockpiles of enriched uranium to Russia, and allowing monitoring cameras and inspections by the IAEA. Trump unilaterally exited the nuclear deal in 2018. European companies then pulled out of Iran, and banks stopped working with Iran, fearing US sanctions. About a year after Trump left the agreement, Iran, not seeing any financial benefits, moved away from its obligations and increased its levels of uranium enrichment, gradually reaching 60%. What comes next? Iran's supreme leader authorized the talks and said the negotiating team has his support. But a deal is not necessarily around the corner. The two sides have to find a way out of their impasse over enrichment. And talks could still break down at the technical level, which was the most challenging part of the previous negotiations. It is also possible that an interim deal could be reached to freeze uranium enrichment while a permanent deal is hashed out. This article originally appeared in
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Iran-US nuclear talks: What's at stake?
Iran and the United States made modest progress during talks in Rome over the future of Iran's nuclear program, an intermediary said Friday after the fifth round of such discussions. The two sides met for a little less than three hours and had "some but not conclusive progress," Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said in a cautiously optimistic message on social media. His country has mediated the talks. "We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks The main issue at stake in the latest round of talks was Washington's demand that Iran halt all nuclear enrichment and dismantle all of its centrifuges. Iran has insisted that it will not give up the right to nuclear enrichment at lower levels as guaranteed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. President Donald Trump 's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is trying to find a formula that works, and the fact that the talks did not break up in acrimony was viewed as positive. It also suggests that Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister -- Witkoff 's counterpart in the discussions -- will need to consult with Iran's leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei , over how to proceed. Live Events Araghchi said that "this round was one of the most professional stages of negotiations that we have experienced so far," according to the Tasmin news agency. "Our positions are completely clear and we stand by them," he said, adding: "It seems that now there is a clearer and more precise understanding of these positions on the American side." A senior American official said in a statement that "the talks continue to be constructive -- we made further progress, but there is still work to be done." Both sides agreed to meet again in the near future, the official said. Still, it was clear that the core disagreement over enrichment had not been resolved. Both Iran and the United States have said they want to resolve their decades-old dispute over Iran's nuclear activities, with Tehran exchanging limits on its nuclear program for the lifting of harsh U.S. and international economic sanctions. Here's what to know about the Iran-U.S. nuclear talks so far. What happened in previous talks? At the previous round of talks, in Oman on May 11, Iran proposed the creation of a joint nuclear-enrichment venture involving regional Arab countries and American investments as an alternative to Washington's demand that it dismantle its nuclear program, according to four Iranian officials familiar with the plan. Araghchi proposed the idea, originally floated in 2007, to Witkoff, according to the Iranian officials. They asked not to be named because they were discussing sensitive issues. A spokesperson for Witkoff denied that the proposal had come up. But since then, Witkoff has outlined a harder administration position. "An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again, that's our red line," Witkoff said in an interview this month with Breitbart News. "No enrichment. That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization, and it means that Natanz , Fordow and Isfahan -- those are their three enrichment facilities -- have to be dismantled." Earlier meetings included the nuts-and-bolts expert talks, which brought together nuclear and financial teams from both sides to hash out technical details, such as the monitoring of Iran's nuclear facilities and what would happen to its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, along with easing sanctions. Trump has defined the objective of the negotiations as preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But achieving that goal would not address other concerns about Iran's advanced missile program, its support of proxy militias around the Middle East and its hostility to Israel. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghai, has said that the issue of the country's defense and missile abilities had "not been and will not be raised in indirect negotiations with the United States." What's at stake? The talks have the potential to reshape regional and global security by reducing the chance of a U.S.-backed Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and preventing Iran from producing a nuclear weapon. A deal could also transform Iran's economic and political landscape by easing American sanctions and opening the country to foreign investors. Both the United States and Israel have vowed that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon; Iran insists that its nuclear program is civilian only. But Iran has been enriching uranium to around 60% purity, just short of the levels needed to produce a weapon. It has amassed enough to build up to seven bombs if it chooses to weaponize, according to the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency . Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and the IAEA has said it has not found signs of weaponization. If its nuclear facilities are attacked, Iran has said it would retaliate fiercely and would consider leaving the U.N. Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Iran's economy and the future of its 90 million people are also on the line. Years of sanctions have created chronic inflation -- exacerbated by economic mismanagement and corruption. Now, many Iranians say they feel trapped in a downward spiral and hope that a U.S.-Iran deal would help. What are the sticking points? The question of whether to allow Iran to continue enriching uranium has divided Trump's advisers. Witkoff had earlier described a possible agreement that would allow Iran to enrich uranium at the low levels needed to produce fuel for energy, along with monitoring. But he now says that total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear enrichment program is the American bottom line. Iran's new proposal entails the establishment of a three-country nuclear consortium in which Iran would enrich uranium to a low grade, beneath that needed for nuclear weapons, and then ship it to certain Arab countries for civilian use, according to the Iranian officials and news reports. Iranian officials have said they are willing to reduce enrichment levels to those specified in the 2015 nuclear agreement with the Obama administration -- about 3.5% -- around the level needed to produce fuel for nuclear power plants. But in a recent podcast interview, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Iran could have a civilian nuclear program without enriching uranium domestically -- by importing enriched uranium, as other countries do. How did we get here? The two sides came into the negotiations with deep distrust. The previous deal between Iran and the United States and other world powers, signed during the Obama administration, was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It put measures in place to prevent Iran from weaponizing its nuclear program by capping enrichment of uranium at about 3.5%, transferring stockpiles of enriched uranium to Russia and allowing monitoring cameras and inspections by the IAEA. Trump unilaterally exited the nuclear deal in 2018. European companies then pulled out of Iran, and banks stopped working with Iran, fearing U.S. sanctions. About a year after Trump left the agreement, Iran, not seeing any financial benefits, moved away from its obligations and increased its levels uranium enrichment, gradually reaching 60%. What comes next? Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had barred negotiating with Trump in the past, authorized the talks and said the negotiating team has his support. But a deal is not necessarily around the corner. The two sides have to find a way out of their impasse over enrichment. And talks could still break down at the technical level, which was the most challenging part of previous negotiations. It is also possible that an interim deal could be reached to freeze uranium enrichment while a permanent deal is hashed out. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .
Hans India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
US-Iran Nuclear Deal Standoff Escalates Over Enrichment Rights
As nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran enter a critical technical phase, both sides are digging in their heels with uranium enrichment at the heart of the dispute. Speaking on ABC's This Week, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff declared that the Trump administration's 'red line' is non-negotiable: 'We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability.' He emphasized that any enrichment, however limited, enables weaponization. 'Everything begins with a deal that does not include enrichment… because enrichment enables weaponization. And we will not allow a bomb to get here,' Witkoff added. In a swift and pointed response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed Witkoff's statement, accusing him of trying to 'negotiate the deal in public.' Taking to social media, Araghchi reiterated that Iran will never give up its right to enrich uranium, a right it claims under the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), of which it is a signatory. 'If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome,' Araghchi said. 'Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.' According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Araghchi added that Witkoff is 'completely at a distance from the reality of the negotiations.' The exchange comes amid confusion over the status of a US proposal. While President Donald Trump claimed during a speech in Abu Dhabi that his administration had handed Tehran a written nuclear deal proposal, warning that Iran must act swiftly or face consequences. Iran has, however, denied receiving any such document. This latest diplomatic volley highlights a growing divide. While Iran insists its enrichment activities are peaceful and permitted under international law, the US along with Israel argues that Iran is manipulating the NPT to become a 'threshold' nuclear state, enriching uranium to levels just short of weapons-grade purity. Earlier this year, Witkoff hinted that Washington might tolerate minimal enrichment as part of a broader agreement. But following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Trump administration has hardened its stance, demanding zero enrichment as a precondition for any deal. As talks continue behind closed doors, the world watches anxiously. Whether diplomacy can prevail over red lines? This remains an open and increasingly urgent question.
10-05-2025
- Politics
NPT Preparatory Meeting Fails to Adopt Recommendation
News from Japan World May 10, 2025 15:02 (JST) New York, May 9 (Jiji Press)--Countries failed to adopt a unanimous recommendation on Friday for the 2026 review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Participants ended their third preparatory committee session at the U.N. headquarters in New York after they failed to narrow gaps. Tomiko Ichikawa, Japanese ambassador to the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, told reporters after the meeting that they had deep and serious discussions, although failing to reach an agreement. Japan will continue to push for dialogue and cooperation to ensure the success of the 2026 conference, she said. The NPT review conference, held every five years, failed to reach an agreement at the previous two meetings. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Hidankyo member calls for nuclear weapons to be eliminated
A representative of hibakusha atomic bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo on Wednesday called for the elimination of nuclear weapons at the ongoing preparatory meeting for the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York. "Our urgent wish is to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons in our lifetime," said Hiroshi Kanamoto, 80, of Nihon Hidankyo, officially called the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. Kanamoto experienced the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, with his sister when he was 9 months old at a point 2.5 kilometers from the center of the explosion. He has been told that he was buried in rubble and covered in his own blood, and that his father came to rescue him. The bombing "instantly transformed Hiroshima into a city of death," he said. Under the NPT, the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China are obliged to hold negotiations for nuclear disarmament. But the previous two NPT review conferences ended in failure. "Will the NPT, which entered into force half a century ago in 1970, continue discussions indefinitely without any progress?" he questioned. "As the only country to have experienced the atomic bombings in war, we call upon Japan to lead the world toward the abolition of nuclear weapons." Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki also spoke at the preparatory meeting. "There is a growing trend among nuclear weapon states and even some nonnuclear weapon states to advocate for the possession of nuclear weapons or participation in nuclear sharing as an effective means of national defense," Matsui said. "But that goes against the principle of the NPT." Suzuki said, "Nagasaki must remain the last war-time atomic bombing site."
