We Will Activate More Centrifuges If Sanctions Intensify

A member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team warned on Wednesday, February 4, that if further sanctions are approved against the country, Iran's nuclear programs will continue, and the country will even activate 'more' centrifuges. According to the Islamic Republic's state news agency, Hamid Baidi Nejad, referring to Iran and the 5+1 countries' efforts to reach a 'comprehensive agreement', added: 'It is obvious that if no agreement is reached, both sides can naturally return to their previous positions.' The Director General of Political and International Security Affairs at Iran's Foreign Ministry emphasized: 'Iran can return to the development of its nuclear programs in a way that aligns with its national interests.' On Tuesday, February 3, the Iranian parliament passed a bill obligating the government to annul the interim Geneva agreement if the U.S. Congress increases sanctions against Iran. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, accused U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday, February 1, of seeking either the failure of Iran's nuclear negotiations with Western countries or Iran's submission to what he called 'irrelevant demands.' The U.S. Senate Banking Committee approved a bill on Thursday, January 29, stating that if negotiations between Iran and the six world powers over its nuclear program do not yield results by the end of June, Tehran's sanctions will be intensified. Barack Obama reiterated that he would 'veto' any new congressional sanctions against Iran. He stated that weakening diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute is a mistake in the current sensitive situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on January 26 that a final nuclear agreement might be reached between Iran and the powers in the coming weeks, but this agreement would be 'bad' and 'unacceptable' from Israel's perspective. In another part of his remarks, Baidi Nejad noted that 'hardline elements' in the U.S. Congress might pursue a strategy of increasing sanctions, adding: 'This situation is not something that any of the nuclear negotiators with Iran would want.' He added: 'In this case, if they wish to resume negotiations with Iran in the future, they must negotiate under the technical conditions of that period, meaning with Iran having a higher nuclear capacity and technology.' Centrifuges are used for uranium enrichment, and highly enriched uranium can be used in the construction of nuclear weapons. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, February 3, citing diplomats, that Iran and the U.S. are still negotiating over the number of Iran's active centrifuges. Last year, the U.S. requested that Iran reduce its number of active centrifuges from the current figure of 10,000 to about 2,000. In December of last year, when nuclear negotiations were extended for the second time, the U.S. and other world powers agreed that Iran could keep 4,500 of its centrifuges active. Iran and the six world powers, which reached a six-month nuclear agreement last December, have extended the interim Geneva agreement twice due to the lack of a comprehensive nuclear agreement. It has been agreed that the parties will reach a 'political agreement' by March and a final nuclear agreement by July 1.