In
response to the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) resolution
censuring Tehran for "failing to cooperate" with the nuclear watchdog,
the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) ordered the use of
advanced centrifuges on November 22 to step up the enrichment of
uranium.
Iran is set to hold nuclear discussions with officials from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on November 29.
“A
range of regional and international issues, including the issues of
Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue, will be discussed,”
stated Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.
This
upcoming meeting will continue the dialogue that took place with these
countries during the annual session of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York last September.
While the specific venue has not
been confirmed, media reports suggest that Geneva is expected to host
the talks.
"Tehran
has always believed that the nuclear issue should be resolved through
diplomacy. Iran has never left the talks," a senior Iranian official was
cited by Reuters as saying.
Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi is expected to lead
Tehran's delegation.
These discussions come in the wake of a resolution
adopted on November 21 by the 35-nation board of governors of the UN's
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which criticized Iran for
what it deemed a lack of cooperation.
The
resolution, submitted by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the
United States, was approved by 19 out of 35 countries. Russia, China,
and Burkina Faso voted against it, while 12 countries abstained.
In response to the resolution, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced on November 22 that it would begin using advanced centrifuges to accelerate uranium enrichment.
The AEOI condemned the resolution as "politically motivated,
unrealistic, and counterproductive," while affirming that technical and
safety cooperation with the IAEA would continue as in the past.
