Iran is ready to join regional nuclear fuel consortium

Esmaeil Baqaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, stated that Iran was prepared to establish a regional nuclear fuel consortium. He reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its uranium enrichment activities, indicating that it would not desist from these endeavours. This statement was made in the context of recent nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which have been facilitated by Oman since 12 April, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement. The establishment of a regional consortium has been proposed as a solution to the energy requirements of the Middle East region and the Persian Gulf countries, which may require nuclear fuel for the construction of new nuclear plants, as asserted by Baqaei during a press conference. Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi reiterated that the country’s uranium enrichment programme was non-negotiable, amid US demands for a zero-enrichment nuclear policy. Western countries, including the United States, have accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, while Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. At present, Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent, which is well above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 agreement, but below the 90 percent required for a nuclear warhead.