Moscow Talks on Iran Nuclear Program Stall

High-level nuclear talks in Moscow between Iran and six world powers stalled on Tuesday. The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany failed yet again to persuade Iran to curb its uranium enrichment program.

Saeed Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told journalists afterward that uranium enrichment “to all levels” is Iran’s “inalienable right.”

The six nations want Tehran to curb uranium enrichment to a level that is just below that used in nuclear warheads. But Iran says it is enriching the uranium only to make reactor fuel or medical isotopes. Tehran insists it has a right to do so under international law.

Iran wants economic sanctions against it to be lifted, but the six are only ready to agree if Tehran compromises on the enrichment.

According to the United States, its sanctions have already cut exports of Iranian crude to roughly 1.5 million barrels a day, down from about 2.5 million barrels a day last year. An EU embargo on Iranian crude that begins July 1 will squeeze Iran’s economy even more.

Yet even with the sanctions, Iran continues to enrich uranium at will.

Although the Moscow negotiations have turned out to be a failure, the six world powers are continuing to pursue talks. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said talks could be resumed if technical experts meeting in Istanbul on July 3 find enough common ground to keep going.

The Trumpet continues to expect Iran to develop its nuclear program despite international pressure. For a detailed forecast on this trend, read our booklet The King of the South.