Salehi: We Do Not Intend to Activate 9,000 Centrifuges While Negotiations Continue

On the eve of the new round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, expressed optimism about reaching a nuclear agreement on Sunday, December 14. He stated, "As long as negotiations continue, we do not intend to activate 9,000 centrifuges." According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Salehi, speaking on the Arabic news network Al-Alam, said, "There is no other way but interaction and understanding left, and both sides must reach an agreement; therefore, I am optimistic about reaching an agreement because if something else happens, it will not be in anyone's interest." Iran and the countries of the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia, along with Germany, the P5+1 group, reached a temporary agreement in Geneva last year to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute. Under this agreement, negotiations were to continue to reach a comprehensive and final solution. However, despite the extension of these talks, negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 were held at the ministerial level in Vienna, Austria, from November 17 to December 3, and the parties failed to reach an understanding by December 3, which was the second deadline set for reaching a final agreement. Therefore, the foreign ministers of the P5+1, despite confirming progress in the talks, announced that more time was needed to reach a comprehensive agreement, and Tehran agreed to extend negotiations for another seven months. On Sunday, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated, "I believe that for the other side, there is no way but to reach an understanding; of course, we, as the President said, are also seeking a win-win understanding, meaning it is not that we want to take all the concessions and they have nothing to say to their public." Salehi added, "With the information I have, I think the overall possibility of reaching an understanding is very high." "We do not intend to activate 9,000 centrifuges." The head of the Atomic Energy Organization continued by noting that they have the latest generation of IR8 centrifuges, but gas has not yet been injected into them, stating, "As long as negotiations continue, we do not intend to activate 9,000 centrifuges." He added, "We currently have our second-generation centrifuges, about a thousand of which are installed, and about one chain of 164 of them is working on a trial basis." Salehi stated, "We show this as our goodwill to the other side; of course, mechanical tests are being conducted, and various tests must be carried out, including mechanical tests, but for the IR8 centrifuge, until negotiations continue, we do not intend to inject active gas, meaning UF6." The first round of comprehensive nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 is set to begin on December 17 in Geneva. The Iranian nuclear negotiating team, led by Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, will participate in these negotiations. According to Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of the Islamic Republic's nuclear negotiating team, this round of talks will be pursued at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva, Switzerland. The main points of contention between Iran and the P5+1 include the duration of the final agreement, the level of uranium enrichment in Iran, and the manner of lifting sanctions against Iran's nuclear program. Earlier, French President Francois Hollande had outlined four conditions for a nuclear agreement with Iran: "stopping the 20% uranium enrichment, international control over all of Iran's nuclear facilities, reducing enriched uranium reserves, and halting the activities of the Arak heavy water facility."