Iran Pledges Continued ‘Peaceful’ Nuclear Activities Despite Sanctions

Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, reaffirmed on Monday Iran’s commitment to continue its “peaceful” nuclear activities despite facing sanctions. Speaking at the 67th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Eslami stated that Iran aims to increase its nuclear electricity generation to 20,000 megawatts per year by 2040.

Eslami emphasized Iran’s adherence to its obligations under the safeguards agreement with the IAEA and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He urged the IAEA to maintain “neutrality and professionalism” in its verification reports on Iran and called for an expedited resolution to the remaining differences between the two sides.

This comes as negotiations to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have been stagnant since the last round ended in August 2022. The US withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018, subsequently imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran.