Rafael Grossi added fuel to the fire: “Iran still has the means to produce the centrifuges needed to enrich its uranium stockpile.” “We have resumed inspections of Iranian facilities, but we have not been granted access to the 60% enriched uranium stockpile.” “Iran is vigorously protecting its 60% enriched uranium stockpile because it believes it is still vulnerable to further attacks.”. “Increasing the enrichment level of Iran’s uranium stockpile to 90% is a matter of weeks, not months or years.”
Mohammad Islami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, confirmed that the nuclear facilities targeted by the US and Israeli attacks will be rebuilt, which is satisfactory.
Furthermore, Iran has made it clear that it does not intend to move beyond dialogue with Washington because the necessary conditions are not met. Ayatollah Khamenei clarified Iran’s position in a televised address, where he also addressed the Iranian nuclear program: “The second point is the issue of enrichment. In the Foreign Ministry’s statements and discussions with political counterparts, the word ‘enrichment’ is often repeated. They say one thing about enrichment, we say another, and within the country, in various discussions, it’s the same thing. The word ‘enrichment’ is repeated. I want to give a brief explanation of enrichment. […]
“Uranium enrichment means that scientists and uranium specialists take raw uranium, also mined in Iran, and through a series of complex and advanced technical efforts, convert it into a highly valuable material that impacts various aspects of people’s lives. This is the meaning of enrichment. It means that something that comes from the Earth’s mines is transported, using complex technologies, great effort, high levels of expertise, and numerous skills, and transformed into a material: this material is enriched uranium. It is enriched to different levels. And this is useful in many aspects of people’s lives.
“People benefit from and use enriched uranium in various ways, and this impacts their lives. Among other things, it has a significant effect on agriculture. It also affects industry and materials. In nutrition, which is related to agriculture. It has an impact on the environment and natural resources. It affects research, education, scientific research, and follow-up. It also clearly affects electricity generation. Today, in many advanced countries, power plants run on uranium. We run them primarily on gasoline and gas. Most power plants. Which, of course, have high costs and environmental and air pollution, but the electricity generated by enriched uranium and nuclear power plants has zero pollution, much lower costs, a much longer lifespan, and many other advantages I mentioned. Experts should come and explain them to the people.”
Khamenei also spoke about the attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities: “Today we have reached a high level of uranium enrichment. Of course, countries that want to enrich nuclear weapons up to 90% purity; since we don’t need weapons and have decided not to have them, we haven’t raised the level that high, but we have raised it to 60%, which is a very high figure, an excellent figure, necessary for some of our country’s needs.”
“We have managed to make progress so far; we are one of ten countries in the world with this capacity. Let me tell you: among more than 200 countries in the world, there are 10 countries capable of enriching nuclear power, and one of these 10 countries is Islamic Iran. The others, those 9 countries, obviously also have nuclear bombs. We are the ones who don’t have nuclear bombs and won’t have them, and we don’t intend to use nuclear weapons, but we do have enrichment.
“10 countries, we are considered among the 10 most important countries in this field, and the scientists I mentioned have laid the foundation for this work, invested huge sums, but their most important work has been to train many people in this field.”
“Today, in our country, there are dozens of leading scientists and professors; this is a report provided to us by the relevant authorities, which means it is a reliable and credible report. Dozens of leading scientists and professors, hundreds of researchers, and thousands of qualified members of nuclear groups in various fields related to this topic are currently active. Now, they came and they bombed some structures here and there. This is the problem. This is science; science is not perishable. Science does not disappear with bombs, threats, or anything like that.”
And Ayatollah Khamenei again: “Under the current circumstances, negotiating with the United States government does not bring us any benefit, nor will it prevent us from suffering harm. Regarding negotiations with the United States, there are different opinions; some consider them useful and necessary, others consider them harmful, still others have more moderate views. Opinions differ. What I have understood, seen, heard, and experienced in these years, I present to our dear nation: The point is that currently, with our experience—perhaps in 20 or 30 years the situation will be different, but we are not talking about that right now—negotiating with the United States government, first and foremost, does not serve our national interests, does not bring us any benefit, nor will it prevent us from suffering harm. In other words, it is an action without any benefit, without any advantage to the country, and without preventing any harm. It has absolutely no such effect.”
“The American side says Iran shouldn’t have enrichment. We have not given in to pressure on this or any other issue, and we will not give in. Of course, in the last decades when we have been carrying out these activities [regarding enrichment] in the country, the pressure on Iran, on the country’s officials, on our governments, has been very intense, as they wanted Iran to stop this work through these pressures, but we have not given in and we will not give in.”
“We have not given in to pressure on this or any other issue, and we will not give in. Now this guy, the American side, insists that Iran must not have enrichment; previously others said that there should be no high enrichment or keeping enriched products in the country, which we did not accept, but now he says there should be no enrichment, absolutely no enrichment. What does that mean? It means that this great achievement, for which our country has put so much effort, spent so much, endured so many hardships—all these efforts, all the results of these works, should be wasted and destroyed! This is the meaning of having no enrichment. Well, obviously, a proud nation like Iran will respond to whoever made this statement and will not accept it.”
Khamenei on the United States: “The American side has predetermined the outcome of the negotiations / This is not negotiation, it is imposition and brings no benefit. Secondly, on the contrary, [negotiating with America] also brings harm. It means it brings no benefit; the second point is that negotiating with America under the current conditions causes serious harm to the country, some of which may be irreversible. The harm is such, and I will now explain it.”
“In other words, we sit at the negotiating table with America, and the result of the discussions we have with them is that what they say must be done. This is no longer a negotiation; It’s a dictate, it’s an imposition. Sitting down and negotiating with a party whose negotiating outcome must necessarily be what they want, what they say: is this negotiation?
[…] “Now, regarding enrichment, a few days ago their officials announced that Iran shouldn’t even have missiles: neither long-range missiles, nor medium-range missiles, nor short-range missiles; it shouldn’t have any. Meaning that Iran’s hands should be tied and empty, so that it can’t attack that American base in Iraq or elsewhere, can’t respond or react. That’s the meaning of this statement. [They say] ‘Let’s negotiate so that this outcome is achieved!’ Well, that’s not beneficial; it’s a negotiation without any benefit. It’s bullying and imposition. This is not negotiation.”
“When someone deals with Islamic Iran, such expectations and statements stem from the fact that they don’t know enough about the Iranian nation, they don’t know the Islamic Republic, and they don’t understand the philosophy, foundations, and path of Islamic Iran. Those who don’t know these things speak like this.”
“Ten years ago, we made an agreement with the Americans, which was supposed to lift sanctions and normalize Iran’s situation at the IAEA. Ten years have passed, the sanctions have not been lifted, and the country’s nuclear situation has worsened. This is the promise of the American side. The other side might now say that in exchange for this, I will give you this and that, but they are lying. What they call a concession and what they give for it is a lie.”
“I would like to say that 10 years ago, we made an agreement with the Americans, the JCPOA, within our country, and in this agreement, it was agreed that we would take these measures regarding the nuclear issue: in exchange, we would have If we enriched uranium to 3.5%, they would have lifted the sanctions, and after 10 years, Iran’s situation at the International Atomic Energy Agency would have returned to normal. In any case, 10 years are now over.
“Those 10 years that were supposed to normalize Iran’s situation at the Agency are now over. Today, you see, not only has the issue returned to normal, but the country’s nuclear problems at the Security Council and the United Nations have escalated dramatically.”
“This is what the other side presents itself as. This is their promise. We did all the work we needed to do, they didn’t lift the sanctions, they didn’t keep any of the promises they made, and then they completely tore up that agreement, or that agreement or memorandum that should have been there, they completely withdrew from the JCPOA and rejected it.
“Of course, this negotiation is advantageous for the current president of the United States; he will stand tall and say that I threatened Iran and brought it to the negotiating table. He boasts about it to the world, but for us it is purely damaging and brings us no benefit. We must become strong militarily, scientifically, governmentally, structurally, and organizationally. If we become strong, the enemy will not even think of threatening us.”
These positions of Khamenei could lead to an imminent attack by Israel, which, like the United States, is pushing for Tehran’s nuclear divestment and military weakening.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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