G7 says Iran must stop nuclear escalation

G7 Foreign and Development Ministers pose for a group photo in Liverpool, England Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 12 December 2021
Follow

G7 says Iran must stop nuclear escalation

  • Truss: Vienna talks were Iran’s “last chance to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution”
  • Negotiations restarted on Thursday to try to revive the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers

LIVERPOOL: The G7 on Sunday said time was running out for Iran to agree a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.

Foreign ministers from the world's richest nations held a two-day meeting in Liverpool, northwest England, seeking to present a strong, united front against global threats.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, from G7 host Britain, said resumed talks in Vienna were the Islamic Republic's “last chance to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution.”

“There is still time for Iran to come and agree this deal,”she told a news conference.

The final communique from the talks said “must stop its nuclear escalation and seize the opportunity to conclude a deal, while this is still possible.”

Negotiations restarted on Thursday to try to revive the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States withdrew from under Donald Trump in 2018.

Iran claims it only wants to develop a civilian capability but Western powers say its stockpile of enriched uranium goes well beyond that, and could be used to develop a nuclear weapon.

US President Joe Biden has said he is ready to return to the agreement and Iranian officials maintain they are serious about committing to the talks.

But Tehran has been accused of backsliding on progress made earlier this year and playing for time.

Truss's comments are the first time a signatory to the original deal has given an ultimatum for the talks.


Iran says students have right to protest but must know ‘red lines’

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Iran says students have right to protest but must know ‘red lines’

Tehran: University students have the right to protest but everyone must “understand the red lines,” the Iranian government’s spokeswoman said Tuesday, in the first official reaction to renewed rallies on campuses since the weekend.
“Sacred things and the flag are two examples of these red lines that we must protect and not cross or deviate from, even at the height of anger,” Fatemeh MoHajjerani said.
She said Iran’s students “have wounds in their hearts and have seen scenes that may upset and anger them; this anger is understandable.”
University students in Iran started a new semester Saturday with pro- and anti-government rallies, according to local media, reviving slogans from nationwide demonstrations that peaked in January and led to thousands of deaths.
Protests first began in December sparked by economic woes in the sanctions-hit country, but grew into nationwide demonstrations on January 8 and 9.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while warning the full toll is likely far higher.
Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by “terrorist acts” fueled by the United States and Israel.
MoHajjerani on Tuesday said a fact-finding mission is investigating “the causes and factors” of the protests and will provide reports.