Iran's nuclear enrichment 'will never stop', nation's UN ambassador says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sun 29 Jun 2025 16.24 EDT
Last modified on Sun 29 Jun 2025 16.53 EDT


Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, said on Sunday that the Islamic republic’s nuclear enrichment “will never stop” because it is permitted for “peaceful energy” purposes under the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“The enrichment is our right, an inalienable right, and we want to implement this right,” Iravani told CBS News, adding that Iran was ready for negotiations but “unconditional surrender is not negotiation. It is dictating the policy toward us.”

But Iravani said Tehran is “ready for the negotiation, but after this aggression, it is not proper condition for a new round of the negotiation, and there is no request for negotiation and meeting with the president”.

The Iranian UN envoy also denied that there are any threats from his government to the safety of Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or against the agency’s inspectors, who are accused by some Iranian officials of helping Israel justify its attacks. IAEA inspectors are currently in Iran but do not have access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/iran-nuclear-enrichment-un-ambassador

[MadameButterfly]

1. Why is that level of enrichment permitted by the IAEA for peaceful purposes

if it has no use for peaceful purposes? We are being told that they are enriching Uraniaum at 60% when they were only allowed 5% under Obama's deal. THat 's quite a gap. Where does the IAEA really stand on this?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Rememeber that 45 threw out the Obama/Kerry agreement during his first term

So those stipulations became moot. Supposedly that level of enrichment allows use as a "compact" fuel source for nuclear subs or as a precursor for making isotopes for medical scanner use, both of which I expect they are using as "an excuse" (plus Iran does have a significant navy).

[MadameButterfly]

3. The Obama/Kerry agreement does not make rules for the IAEA

I see you list peaceful uses for enriched uranium but I would think the IAEA would set limits and not be tricked by such excuses
They are international and not governed by the stupidity of Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

4. But IAEA was involved in the verification portions of that agreeement

(I was semi-monitoring that back then)

But once that agreement was mooted by 45, apparently Iran reverted back to what they are claiming are IAEA allowances. The problem of course is that IAEA has not been permitted to inspect every area that they needed to.

[MadameButterfly]

5. I'm always impressed with what you know

and I wonder if you are full time doing this stuff or your career is realted? How ca you know all this withour full time dedication or career ecpertise? Anser if you please--don't mean to pry

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I was a chemist for the federal government and have been retired for about 8 years now

but I also grew up with a mother who was a history/political science major (my dad was a COBOL programmer for the VA decades ago). So the "politics" and "history" stuff was something she was actively following and discussing with me and my sisters and when she finally got cable back in the late '80s, my mom became a CSPAN junkie and made me into one too!

The CSPAN/CSPAN2/CSPAN3 channels not only show Congress but also cover and broadcast many many conferences and policy-related panel discussions with respect to both domestic and international affairs. It is basically PBS on steroids (except without the "entertainment" / "lifestyle" stuff).

And with respect to Iran and this agreement specifically, there was quite a lot of discussion about it here on DU when the pact was being put together (I have been here since early 2008) and I felt so bad for Kerry and his million-mile "shuttle diplomacy" efforts to finally get an agreement only to see that cavalierly tossed away by 45!

[ancianita]

7. Theocracies generally co-exist with other govts, but not Islamic Republics, generally. Eternal holy war is

their theocratic mission which drives their overt/covert action or domestic/international policy, and they constitute the majority of theocracies.

[Polybius]

8. What's the tiny Christian one?

Near Syria.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. It is Lebanon

I remember stumbling on something about this I think last year or the year before but per this - https://web.archive.org/web/20101207190808/http://www.usip.org/publications/lebanons-confessionalism-problems-and-prospects

it was agreed that the President of the Republic was to be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of Parliament a Shia Muslim.

I.e., it was like a "power-sharing" agreement between the religions.

[Evolve Dammit]

12. Why would they?? Incentives?