(Manama) US Iranian envoy Rob Malley warned on Friday that Tehran was “not going in the right direction” after significantly increasing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, 10 days before negotiations resumed on its controversial nuclear program.
“Iran’s advances sow concern in the region […] Time is running out for a return to the agreement, ”Rob Malley said in Manama, Bahrain, at a security conference.
PHOTO BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
US envoy for Iran, Rob Malley
After five months of suspension due to the election of the new ultra-conservative Iranian president Ebrahim Raïssi, negotiations between Iran and the great powers are due to resume in Vienna on November 29 in an attempt to save the 2015 agreement supposed to prevent Tehran from breaking up. endow nuclear weapons.
These discussions are being held between Tehran and the other signatories (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia and China) still parties to the pact, and with the indirect participation of the United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
In the wake of this withdrawal, Washington reinstated economic sanctions against Iran, which in response gradually freed itself from its commitments made in the agreement.
On Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported a sharp increase in the stockpile of highly enriched uranium by Tehran, in violation of these same commitments.
“If Iran continues at this rate, the time will come when it will be impossible to reap any profits even by returning to the deal,” said Rob Malley.
If they stick to their statements, unfortunately we are not going in the right direction. But let’s wait and see what happens.
Rob Malley, US envoy for Iran
The diplomat assured that the United States shared a “common objective” with Russia and China to “avoid the crisis which could be triggered if Iran continued in this direction”. “Our clear intention in coming back to the deal is to stick to it because we don’t want to see a nuclear crisis. ”
In a tweet, Rob Malley referred to a “very constructive” telephone conversation with Russian and Chinese deputy foreign ministers Sergei Riabkov and Ma Zhaoxu.
“Our three countries are absolutely on the same wavelength on the need for a return to full respect” of the agreement and are working there “by harmonizing” their approaches for the resumption of negotiations, he said. said.