Congress Representatives: Approval of Uranium Enrichment in Iran is a Deviation from U.S. Policy

Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Eliot Engel, another congressman, emphasized that any potential agreement with Iran must block all pathways for Tehran to achieve nuclear weapon production capacity, referring to the latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group. In a statement released on Thursday, November 29, they highlighted some of the 'challenges' and points of contention in the nuclear talks, including 'Iran's efforts to maintain thousands of centrifuges' it possesses. The statement reads: 'We are deeply concerned about reports indicating that Iran seeks to maintain the vast majority of its nuclear infrastructure rather than shutting it down.' These congress representatives noted that the approval of uranium enrichment in Iran represents a fundamental and risky deviation from decades of U.S. policy regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 began on Tuesday in Vienna, with Iranian officials insisting that if the West wants to reach an agreement, it must 'set aside its excessive demands.' On the other hand, the U.S. and the European Union state that it is Iran that must decide, and the responsibility for any potential agreement will fall on Tehran. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is witnessing statements from its representatives regarding the nuclear negotiations, including Ted Deutsch, a Republican representative, stating that 'the P5+1 must either ensure that any agreement requires a complete halt to enrichment in Iran and the total shutdown of Iran's nuclear facilities or abandon these doomed negotiations.' Iran and the P5+1, which includes the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China, and Germany, have until December 3 to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement. In this context, where Western officials emphasize that 'significant differences' remain unresolved, speculation about extending negotiations has increased. In this regard, the British Foreign Secretary expressed that reaching a nuclear agreement is possible, while Lavrov stated that resolving the Iranian nuclear dispute would contribute to stability in the Middle East. The British Foreign Secretary is not optimistic about an agreement with Iran by December 3, and the U.S. has stated that the responsibility for achieving a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran lies with Tehran. Einhorn suggested that a phased lifting of sanctions is a reasonable process.