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Western Quartet calls on Iran to return to nuclear dialogue table despite IAEA condemnation

Western Quartet calls on Iran to return to nuclear dialogue table despite IAEA condemnation

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States regret the Iranian response to activate new uranium centrifuges

Nov. 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Western Quartet of countries made up of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States have asked Iran this Saturday to return to the path of dialogue after “observing with concern” the activation of new uranium centrifuges in the Islamic republic in response to a condemnatory resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency against Tehran for its lack of cooperation.

“We note with deep concern Iran’s announcement on November 22, 2024 that, rather than responding to the resolution with cooperation, it plans to respond with further expansion of its nuclear program through means that have no credible peaceful justification,” according to a joint statement from the four countries.

The resolution was approved with 19 votes in favor, twelve abstentions and three votes against – Russia, China and Burkina Faso – and requires Iran to give explanations about its nuclear activities and requests Grossi for a “comprehensive” report, in amid pressure on the Islamic Republic to cooperate with the agency after abandoning part of its commitments to the 2015 agreement after the US unilaterally left it in 2018.

“We hope that Iran will seize the opportunity between now and that report to finally provide the information and cooperation necessary to resolve these issues, so that the Agency can ensure that its program remains exclusively peaceful,” they said.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian stressed last week that Tehran “has not tried and will not try” to develop nuclear weapons and was open to relaunching discussions with the IAEA to “clarify” the “ambiguities” around its nuclear program, before to remember that “it was the United States that unilaterally withdrew” from the historic 2015 agreement, after which Washington imposed a battery of sanctions against the country.

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