ABU DHABI, November 11. /TASS/. Iran remains committed to a peaceful agreement to resolve the differences over the Islamic republic's nuclear program, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate political conference.
"The reason Iran did not withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons following this aggression (the Israeli operation against Iran and the US attack on the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan - TASS) is precisely because we are committed to achieving a peaceful nuclear agreement," he said.
According to him, Iran will continue to develop a civilian nuclear program, which is a "matter of pride" for the Islamic republic, but the country is ready to prove to the world that it does not seek to obtain nuclear weapons.
"Now we are much more committed to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the development of our own nuclear program... However, we have repeatedly assured everyone that we do not seek to build nuclear weapons for a variety of reasons. We are ready to provide any necessary guarantees, as we have already done under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We have already agreed to certain limitations of our program," Khatibzade added.
The diplomat also said that Tehran has been receiving "conflicting messages" from Washington about the negotiations to resolve the conflict over Iran's nuclear program. "We are receiving conflicting messages. On stage we hear one thing, backstage we get another. The Americans, as usual, are master manipulators. From the very beginning, they used diplomacy not to reach an agreement, but to emasculate the very idea of diplomacy," he said.
The United States and Iran have held five rounds of talks trying to strike a new nuclear deal. Negotiations did not resume after June 13, when Israel launched a military operation against the Islamic republic. The United States entered the conflict nine days later, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
The main stumbling block is the disagreement over uranium enrichment. The American side insisted that the republic completely abandon uranium enrichment, while Iran has long claimed that its nuclear program is peaceful. After the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal, Tehran stopped complying with the restrictions of the 2015 agreement and began enriching uranium to 60%.
Khatibzade called diplomatic efforts the only way to overcome the confrontation.
"In the end, we need diplomacy, and that means mutual concessions. Diplomacy means equal conditions and respect, as well as the rejection of any erroneous arguments and illusions," he said.
The nuclear deal
Iran and a group of international mediators consisting of Britain, Germany, China, Russia, the United States and France signed a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. The treaty marked the end of a crisis that began in 2004, when Western countries accused Tehran of developing nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement during his first term.
The previous head of the American administration, Joe Biden, has repeatedly said he was ready to return to the nuclear deal. The United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States and France have been negotiating with Iran since April 2021 to restore the JCPOA in its original form, but without success.