Tehran (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry charged Israel with trying to “undermine” the nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. “A kind of coalition is forming … to undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process,” the ministry’s spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said.
Following the weekend’s second round of indirect discussions between the United States and Iran regarding the nuclear issue, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the “negotiations are progressing” and that both sides have “managed to reach a better understanding on a number of principles and goals.” The talks are scheduled to resume next Saturday, April 26.
How serious are Israeli threats to Iran’s nuclear program?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed that Israel will not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Western powers and Israel- regarded by experts as the sole nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East- have long accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear armament.
Iran has consistently refuted these allegations, asserting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. In 2018, Donald Trump exited a significant nuclear agreement made three years prior, which relaxed sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities.
Are Tehran and Washington finding common ground again?
According to a report by the New York Times U.S. President Donald Trump halted an Israeli initiative to strike Iranian nuclear sites, amidst ongoing American negotiations to restrict Tehran’s weapons program.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Rome, following their recent high-level nuclear negotiations- the most significant between the U.S. and Iran since the 2015 agreement fell apart.
One year later, Iran started to incrementally violate the deal’s terms, particularly by enriching uranium at elevated levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Tehran has enriched uranium to 60 percent, which is nearing the 90 percent threshold required for weapon production, while also amassing substantial quantities of fissile material.
The 2015 nuclear agreement limited uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent. Iran and the United States, long-time adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, are scheduled to hold a third round of talks facilitated by Oman.
