Washington: Iran and the United States will hold a fifth round of talks in Rome on Friday over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme.
The negotiations represent a milestone in the fraught relations between the two nations over Iran’s programme, which is enriching uranium close to weapons-grade levels. Officials are now focused on the details that could make or break any accord.
Meanwhile, Iran’s top diplomat warned that his country would take “special measures” to defend its nuclear facilities if Israel continues to threaten them, raising the stakes further ahead of a new round of talks with the United States.
The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered no specifics on what Tehran would do, but international inspectors already have seen their access limited to Iran’s programme.
That’s even as Tehran enriches uranium to 60 per cent purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
“I have called on the international community to take effective preventive measures against the continuation of Israeli threats, which if unchecked, will compel Iran to take special measures in defence of our nuclear facilities and materials,” Araghchi wrote on the social platform X after sending letters to United Nations officials.
“The nature, content and extent of our actions will correspond and be proportionate to preventive measures taken by these international bodies in accordance with their statutory duties and obligations.” Iran’s mission to the United Nations later posted Araghchi’s letter online, which included a warning to the US as well.