Iran and the United States are conducting the fifth round of nuclear talks today in Rome, Italy. The meeting follows a public disagreement during the previous round in Muscat over Tehran’s uranium enrichment program.The purpose of the meeting is to address the escalating tensions between countries.The ongoing talks, which began in April, mark the highest-level engagement between the US and Iran since Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement during US President Donald Trump‘s first term in 2018.Since returning to the office on 20 January, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran. He has supported the ongoing talks however, also warned that military action remains an option if diplomatic efforts do not succeed.Iran is anticipating a new deal that would lead to the easing of sanctions, which have severely impacted its economy.US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington “could not authorise even one per cent uranium enrichment by Iran.” This stance has been strongly rejected by Tehran. Iranian officials argue that under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), they have the legal right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
Key differences remains:
Ahead of the scheduled meeting, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that “fundamental differences” still exist between Tehran and Washington. However, he also indicated a willingness to compromise, stating that Iran is open to allow more inspections of its nuclear facilities.Observing these differences, he added, “We will not have an agreement at all if the United States wants to prevent Iran from enriching uranium.”The meeting is taking place ahead of two key events: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting scheduled for June and the expiration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear deal in October.The JCPOA aims to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, a goal Western countries accused it of pursuing. However, Tehran denies it.In exchange for limiting its nuclear programme, Iran received relief from international sanctions. However, the accord was undermined in 2018 when President Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal.In response, Iran increased its nuclear activities. It is now enriching uranium to 60 per cent, which is much higher than the 3.67 per cent limit set by the deal but still less than the 90 per cent needed to make a nuclear bomb.
Iran’s firm stance:
Experts in Tehran noted that Iran is unlikely to back down.Mohammad Marandi, a political scientist and former nuclear adviser, said, “It’s simple; if the US wants Iran to stop enriching uranium, then there can be no deal.”The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says about 17,000 people work in the country’s nuclear industry, similar to other countries that enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.Its spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said, “Countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, South Korea, Brazil, and Japan enrich (uranium) without possessing nuclear weapons.”Tensions between Iran and Israel, which is supported by the US, remain a major issue in the talks.In a letter to the United Nations, Iran’s foreign minister wrote: “We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility.”The White House said President Trump had a “productive discussion” with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran and the recent killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington.
