Reuters: France urged Iran on Tuesday not to carry out a threat to resume uranium enrichment-related activities, which the European Union and the United States fear could be a step towards developing nuclear weapons. Fellow EU member Britain said that any resumption would spell an end to European negotiations with Tehran over the long-term future
of its nuclear programme. Reuters
PARIS – France urged Iran on Tuesday not to carry out a threat to resume uranium enrichment-related activities, which the European Union and the United States fear could be a step towards developing nuclear weapons.
Fellow EU member Britain said that any resumption would spell an end to European negotiations with Tehran over the long-term future of its nuclear programme.
The EU and Washington say they will take the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council if Iran does restart activities.
“As far as we know, no final decision has been taken by the Iranian side, but we hope Iran will not take such a decision,” a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
He urged Tehran to stick to the deal reached with Britain, France and Germany in Paris in November, under which Iran agreed to suspend nuclear fuel-related activities while both sides negotiated a long-term solution over its nuclear ambitions.
Iran denies U.S. accusations it is trying to build atomic weapons and says its nuclear facilities will be used only as part of a civilian energy programme.
Shrugging off U.S. and EU warnings, it confirmed on Tuesday it would resume some sensitive nuclear work imminently.
In London, a government official said a resumption would mean an end of negotiations.
“The Paris agreement is based on one fundamental point — that the suspension remains in place,” the official said.
“As soon as the EU three decide the suspension has been broken, that to us means there has been a fundamental breakdown in the Paris agreement and everything that flows from it comes to a halt.”
“There are very clear consequences and Iran knows the implications. The follow-on implication is a referral to the U.N. Security Council.” (Additional reporting by Madeline Chambers in London)
