The Iranian regime announced that it has immediately begun implementing measures in response to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ resolution and has informed the agency of its actions. Meanwhile, an advisor to the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has indicated Tehran’s readiness for a new agreement with the Trump administration.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, stated on Friday evening, November 22, on Iranian state television that 60% uranium enrichment has not been halted and that “since last night, we have been instructed to increase the pace as well.”
He added: “We have the capacity to significantly increase enrichment levels.”
On Thursday evening, the IAEA Board of Governors condemned the expansion of Iran’s nuclear activities and issued a rebuke resolution against Iran for the second time in six months.
Several other regime officials also spoke on Friday of “reciprocal actions” against the IAEA and issued various threats.
For example, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the regime’s Majlis’ (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, threatened that “if the case is to return to the same futile cycle,” Iran would withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He was referring to a law passed in 2020 titled “Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions,” which was strongly criticized by then-regime’s President Hassan Rouhani.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, stated on Friday that the Iranian regime “is ready for positive engagement to achieve a sustainable solution through dialogue and constructive cooperation.”
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, he accused the European countries party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of having “chosen the path of confrontation,” while claiming that Iran “has exercised restraint over the past two months and avoided any actions that might complicate efforts to revive the JCPOA.”
Previously, Abbas Araghchi, the regime’s foreign minister, had described the final year remaining before the expiration of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA as a “critical year” and warned of the possibility of the snapback mechanism being activated during this time.
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei, called on the “new U.S. officials” to provide the “necessary concessions” to achieve a new agreement.
On Friday evening, he wrote on X that the new U.S. officials must “accept Iran’s conditions and agree to the necessary concessions, including compensating Iran for damages and similar issues.”
Eight years ago, at the start of Donald Trump’s first term as the U.S. president, Khamenei had responded to Trump’s remarks about “tearing up the JCPOA” by saying: “If you tear up the JCPOA, we will set it on fire!”
Now, however, Ali Larijani, who recently traveled to Lebanon and Syria to deliver Ali Khamenei’s messages to the leaders of these two countries, stated that with Iran enriching uranium to 60% purity, the U.S. has two options: returning to the JCPOA along with “compensating for the economic damages caused by its unilateral withdrawal from the agreement,” or negotiating for a new deal “based on Iran’s and the region’s new position.”
Larijani concluded that applying pressure and issuing new resolutions at the IAEA Board of Governors “will lead nowhere,” and the only option for the West is “accepting Iran’s new position” and returning to the negotiating table to revive the JCPOA or reach a new agreement.
The publication of Larijani’s remarks on Khamenei’s official website, especially given his recent mission as Khamenei’s special envoy, could be interpreted as the supreme leader’s approval of this stance, particularly Iran’s “readiness for renewed negotiations with Washington.”
Following the recent IAEA Board resolution against Tehran, the regime swiftly announced the activation of another set of new centrifuges. This move could pave the way for Iran to be referred to the United Nations Security Council and the activation of snapback sanctions, especially with little time left before the JCPOA’s expiration date.
