Iran Announces Increase in Enrichment; Larijani's Comments on Agreement with Trump

Iran has stated that it has immediately begun actions in response to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors' resolution and has informed the agency. Meanwhile, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic announced Tehran's readiness for a new agreement with the Trump administration. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Friday evening that 60% enrichment has not stopped and "we were instructed last night to increase the speed as well." He emphasized that "the enrichment area is the most affected area" and stated: "We have the capacity to significantly increase enrichment." The IAEA's Board of Governors condemned Iran's nuclear activities on Thursday evening, issuing a reprimanding resolution against Iran for the second time in six months. Other officials from the Islamic Republic also spoke on Friday about "reciprocal actions" against the agency and made various threats. For instance, Ibrahim Azizi, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, threatened that "if the case is to return to the same vicious cycle," Iran will exit the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty). He added that "if pressures increase," the parliament will move towards approving "more comprehensive and complete laws than the previous one," referring to a law passed in 1399 titled "Strategic Action for the Removal of Sanctions," which was heavily criticized by then-President Hassan Rouhani. While several officials from the Islamic Republic have spoken of threats such as increasing uranium enrichment, others have emphasized Tehran's readiness to engage with the agency and the new U.S. administration. For example, Mohsen Nazari Asl, Iran's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, stated that the Islamic Republic is "ready for positive interaction to achieve a sustainable solution through dialogue and constructive cooperation." He accused European countries involved in the JCPOA of having "chosen the path of confrontation," but Iran has "in the past two months, with restraint, avoided any actions that might complicate efforts to revive the JCPOA." Previously, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, referred to the remaining year until the expiration of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA as a "critical year" and warned about the possibility of the activation of the trigger mechanism during this period. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, advisor to the Supreme Leader, called on the "new U.S. officials" to make the necessary concessions to reach a new agreement. He wrote on social media that the new U.S. officials must "accept Iran's conditions and agree to the necessary concessions, including compensating Iran for damages and similar matters." This member of the Expediency Discernment Council also referred to the topic of an agreement with the Trump administration in an interview with the Supreme Leader's website. Larijani mentioned in an interview with the Supreme Leader's news site the possibility of renegotiating with the U.S. and the West to achieve a replacement agreement for the JCPOA, presenting it as an acceptable option for the Islamic Republic. This comes as the leaders of the Islamic Republic had previously rejected any renegotiation or alteration of the JCPOA's terms. Eight years ago, on the eve of Donald Trump's first presidential term, Ali Khamenei responded to his remarks about "tearing up the JCPOA" by saying: "If you tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it!" The Supreme Leader has repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement and efforts to revive it, either implicitly or explicitly, over the years. However, Larijani, who recently traveled to Lebanon and Syria to convey Khamenei's messages to the leaders of these two countries, stated that there are two options for the U.S.: returning to the JCPOA while "compensating for the economic damages caused by the unilateral withdrawal from the agreement" or negotiating for a new agreement "based on Iran's new position and the region." The Supreme Leader's advisor emphasized that if the Trump administration accepts Iran's new conditions, Iran will also commit to not moving towards producing nuclear weapons despite the 60% enrichment. The former Speaker of the Iranian Parliament considered the continuation and increase of uranium enrichment in Iran as a sign of the West's failure in "advancing its demands regarding Iran through pressure." The member of the Expediency Discernment Council concluded that pressure and the issuance of a new resolution in the Board of Governors will lead nowhere, and the only option for the West is to "accept Iran's new position" and return to the negotiation table to revive the JCPOA or reach a new agreement. The publication of Larijani's statements on the Supreme Leader's website, especially considering his recent mission as Khamenei's special representative, can be interpreted as the Supreme Leader's agreement with this view, particularly the "readiness for renegotiation with Washington." Following the recent resolution passed by the Board of Governors against Iran, the Islamic Republic quickly announced the launch of another set of new centrifuges; an action that could pave the way for referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council and activating the trigger mechanism, especially as there is not much time left until the expiration date of the JCPOA.