Iran says US nuclear proposal contains ‘ambiguities, questions’

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that a US proposal for a new nuclear agreement submitted through mediator Oman has “many ambiguities and questions”.

“The written proposal we received from the US contains many ambiguities and questions. Many issues in this proposal are not clear,” Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon. On Saturday, Iran said it received “elements” of a US proposal for a nuclear deal following five rounds of talks that started in April and were mediated by the sultanate of Oman.

Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention between Washington and Tehran in the talks to seal a nuclear deal, with Iran defending what it says is its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear energy programme and the US calling it a “red line”.

US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that Iran will not be allowed any enrichment of uranium under a potential deal with Washington. “We will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium in Iran. However, we are ready to take steps... to ensure that this enrichment will not lead to the production of nuclear weapons,” he said. Araghchi was visiting Beirut following a stop in Cairo on Monday, where he met with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had increased production of highly enriched uranium.

The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons.Meanwhile, Moscow said on Tuesday that Iran had the “right” to a peaceful nuclear programme, a day after US President Donald Trump said he wanted to rule out “any” enrichment of uranium by Tehran in a new nuclear pact.

Uranium enrichment has been a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord that would replace the deal abandoned by US President Donald Trump during his first term in 2018.Asked about Trump´s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Countries have the right to peaceful energy, the use of peaceful atomic energy must take place exclusively under the strict control of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”