The Biden administration said on Tuesday that it is still committed to nuclear negotiations with Iran even in the face of Iran’s “provocative announcements” about increasing uranium enrichment to up to 60%.
“We are certainly concerned about these provocative announcements,” President Joe Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters.
“We believe that the diplomatic path is the only path forward here and that having a discussion, even indirect, is the best way to come to a resolution.”
Although Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned on Tuesday that the attack on Natanz will affect the ongoing negotiations in Vienna, the talks will be postponed only for one day, resuming on Thursday rather than Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, stated
“It will take place in Vienna on April 15 in physical format,” he said.
According to Channel 13 News analyst Alon Ben-David, Iran’s provocative announcement that it will begin increasing uranium enrichment to up to 60% is “not a significant threat.”
Ben-David explained that due to the extensive damage at Natanz, Iran will not be able to reach 60% enrichment there and although it maintains about 1,000 additional centrifuges at its Fordo plant, those centrifuges can only enrich uranium up to 60% in very small quantities.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)