Araqchi briefs Iran Experts Assembly on N-talks

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says the P5+1 group has recognized Tehran’s right to enrich uranium to the 3.5-percent level in its interim nuclear deal with Tehran.

In a Tuesday briefing to a summit of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said Tehran managed to “consolidate” its right to enrich uranium to the 3.5-percent purity in its nuclear deal with the P5+1 – Russia, China, France, the US, the UK and Germany.

Araqchi further stated that the Islamic Republic agreed to suspend its 20-percent uranium enrichment under the interim nuclear deal signed in Geneva, Switzerland, last November, because the country did not need to enrich uranium to that degree of purity.

Iran and the six other states are in talks to hammer out a long-term deal aimed at fully resolving the decade-old dispute over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

Under the Geneva deal, the P5+1 group undertook to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. Based on the agreement that took effect on January 20, It was also agreed that no nuclear-related sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.

Araqchi also said on the sidelines of the Tuesday summit that Iran and its negotiating partners are to begin a new round of expert-level talks in Vienna, Austria, adding that the discussions will serve as a prelude to the upcoming nuclear negotiations, slated to open in the Austrian city on March 17.

The meeting of Iran’s Assembly of Experts kicked off in the Iranian capital earlier on Tuesday. Participants will hold talks on major national issues during the two-day event.