Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited an exhibition on “nuclear industry achievements” on Wednesday on the occasion of National Nuclear Technology Day. He was briefed on the latest advances and innovations in this field, Iranian state media said.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, along with a group of senior nuclear officials, accompanied Pezeshkian on this visit, Iran’s IRNA state media said.
This shows how Iran is showcasing its nuclear achievements ahead of the talks. Iran also wants to highlight the peaceful aspects of its drive for nuclear technology. Iran will want to preserve all of this in any kind of deal. Iran says that it has advanced in terms of “fuel cycle, energy and electricity production, heavy water and its derivatives, nuclear medicines, plasma technology, and the application of radioactive beams.”
The report says that “Iran’s nuclear industry achievement exhibition is held in three main sections. The first section includes pavilions in the field of airborne geophysics, exploration, and operational projects of uranium mines, yellow cake production, uranium processing, fuel complexes, and enrichment. The second one focuses on energy-related projects, including those associated with nuclear power plants. The third section showcases applications of the nuclear industry.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi spoke with Olof Skoog, the European Union deputy foreign policy chief. They “reviewed the nuclear issue and lifting sanctions against Iran,” IRNA noted. Iran wants sanctions lifted.
Iran rejects direct talks with US
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continued to reject direct talks with the US. He said that as long as the US is putting “maximum pressure” on Iran, such talks will not happen.
“Speaking at a meeting with Algerian elites and media figures in Algiers on Tuesday, Araghchi said bilateral talks should be conducted on equal footing, not under maximum pressure and military threats,” IRNA said. “As long as maximum pressure and threats exist, there is no ground for fair negotiations, and we will not hold direct negotiations,” the top Iranian diplomat added. “We have announced that we can negotiate indirectly with the United States.” The talks are supposed to take place in Oman.
This is the high-stakes brinkmanship that Iran is engaged in. It is trying to act tough but also messaging what it wants. Iran’s president said this week that Iran does not want conflict but will not yield on its nuclear gains.
What this means is unclear. Would it be willing to reduce its military program that is linked to the nuclear program?
The concern in Israel and the US is “weaponization” of the nuclear program. Israeli officials have said they want the nuclear sites dismantled under US supervision. Iran is not likely to do this.
First, it would violate Iran’s sovereignty to have US boots on the ground running around Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran surely recalls what happened to Iraq after the 1991 war. It also knows what happened to Libya.
Iran is openly saying that the “ball” is in the American court. It wants to see if the Trump administration is serious and what offers the administration may come up with. These are certainly momentous times.
However, Trump is the author of the “art of the deal” and he likely knows how to conduct these kinds of talks. It is a key element of his second-term doctrine. Iran is messaging that a “deal can be reached,” according to the Iranian foreign minister. However, Iran wants the US to show “goodwill.”
These are important and positive comments and show Iran is being flexible. Of course, it remains to be seen if the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will follow along.
Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament also put out a statement on Wednesday saying that Iran has a right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It says that any attempt to prevent Iran from doing this will lead to “devastating” consequences.
Overall, the Iranian messaging is clear. They want the “peaceful” part of their nuclear program to continue. They want to get something in return for direct talks. They are cautious but optimistic.
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