You see a page from the old site of Iran International that is no longer updated. Visit iranintl.com to view the new site.

Officials Warn Iran Will Expand Nuclear Program If Sanctions Are Not Lifted

Top Iranian officials Tuesday fired warning shots at Washington that if the United States did not act to lift sanctions by late February, Iran would implement legislation passed by parliament in December to limit United Nation nuclear inspections and further boost uranium enrichment.

“With the change of administrations in America we heard words but did not see any action,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Moscow for talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying. “If by February 21 appropriate steps are not taken to restore our economic relations, we will act based on the law passed by the parliament.”

Ali Rabiei, the government spokesman, said earlier in the day that Iran would limit the activities of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by next week. Rabiei said that the Islamic Republic was waiting to see what the US stance would be on returning to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.

“So far, there are no plans for negotiations with the United States,” Rabiei said. “Any action in this regard shall depend on the United States returning to its obligations under the nuclear deal and UN Resolution 2231 [which with the UN Security Council endorsed the JCPOA].”

On Monday, Iran’s UN Envoy Majid Takhtravanchi told NBC news that Tehran was waiting for President Joe Biden to take the first steps to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement. Zarif, the UN ambassador, and the government spokesman all reiterated that Iran had not received any message from the Biden administration.

Tehran’s position is that the primary responsibility for reviving the deal – known as the JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – lies with the US, given it broke the agreement, but Iran has also since 2019 expanded its nuclear program beyond JCPOA limits and continues to suggest it will extend its atomic activities further.

Iranian officials have also demanded retribution for the US in January 2020 killing Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, commander of its extraterritorial Qods Force. Iran has also ruled out suggestions from some in the US, Israel and the Arab Gulf states that new conditions be imposed on Iran, including limits on its missile program. Other JCPOA signatories – Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany – have called on both the US and Iran to return quickly to compliance with the JCPOA.

In another development the Arabic service of the Sky network cited Pentagon sources that Biden planning direct talks with Iranian officials after European mediation. Reports on Sunday said Biden and French President Emmanuelle Macron discussed the JCPOA during their one-hour phone conversation on Saturday.

The White House revealed on Sunday that Biden had spoken with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the nuclear deal, although this was not been mentioned in the UK government's statement on the conversation.

German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday that Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also discussed Iran in their first phone conversation: “The leaders spoke about foreign policy issues like Afghanistan and Iran, along with trade and climate policy.”  Merkel, Deutsche Welle said, had “declared Germany’s willingness to take on responsibility in dealing with international tasks together with its European and transatlantic partners.”

Biden said during his election campaign that he would return to the JCPOA. Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, told the Senate during confirmation hearings that US would return to the deal while seeking a longer term, broader diplomatic agreement with Iran.

 

Iran in Brief
City officials in Iran's capital Tehran are planning to put locks on large waste containers in the streets to prevent garbage pickers from accessing waste.More
The Biden Administration has confirmed to the US Congress that sanction imposed by its predecessor on Iran have drastically reduced Iran's trade with the world.More
The UK government said on Sept 20 that Britain would "not rest" until all its dual nationals being held in Iran were returned home.More
President Ebrahim Raisi’s vice president in women’s affairs has refused to support an age limit in child marriage, a controversial issue in Iran.More
In first news about detained Iranian dissident rap singer Toomaj, Iran International has learned that was arrested by the intelligence ministry.More