How Iran's Nuclear Activities Will Continue Until the Next Negotiation Deadline

The state news agency IRNA reported on Friday, October 6, citing a "well-informed source close to Iran's nuclear negotiation team," that Iran's "research and development activities" will continue based on the Geneva agreement over the next seven months. According to this informed source, "During the next seven months, Iran will continue its research and development activities, and there will be no change in this regard." In this context, we spoke with Behrouz Bayat, a nuclear issues expert, and first asked him what the announcement of the continuation of nuclear activities by Iran means. Behrouz Bayat in Vienna stated: According to the temporary Geneva agreement, Iran is allowed to advance its nuclear program within certain limits. The restrictions included not continuing enrichment above 5 percent, converting or diluting its 20 percent uranium stockpile... part of it should be diluted and part converted to oxide... and its nuclear activities should not expand. However, at the existing level, uranium enrichment can continue on the condition that the accumulation of 5 percent enriched uranium does not increase. From this perspective, this statement does not contradict the Geneva agreement. Has there been any change in various aspects of the Geneva agreement during the seven-month extension? Ms. Marzieh Afkham, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated on Wednesday that she is not seeking to confirm or deny reports about changes in the details of the Geneva agreement. What does this mean? What has leaked or not leaked indicates that there has been no change. It seems that the Geneva agreement was set for a specific period, and during this specified period, Iran accepted a series of commitments that it has adhered to. When these commitments were made, in exchange for Iran not expanding its nuclear program, the West waived some sanctions that were not very fundamental, including returning part of Iran's funds. With the continuation of this agreement, Iran remains committed as it was, and the West agreed to return $5 billion of Iran's money during this extension, which amounts to $700 million per month. Wendy Sherman, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, is expected to present strong arguments to American lawmakers to refrain from imposing new sanctions against Iran. Do you think Iran's intention to continue its nuclear activities is a response to sanctions? To the extent that I have read from an Iranian official, it does not seem to me that it is related to sanctions because this is a continuation of a situation that has been agreed upon. In this respect, it is nothing new. For example, Iran has not said that it will resume 20 percent enrichment. Rather, it has stated that according to the Geneva agreement, which allows Iran to advance or continue its nuclear program to this extent.