Intensive Nuclear Negotiations in New York to Save the Agreement.. and Iran Confirms: "We Will Not Respond to Pressure"

Iranian diplomacy enters a critical turning point with the start of intensive talks between Iranian ministers and their European counterparts in New York, in a final attempt to contain the nuclear crisis before the deadline for re-imposing United Nations sanctions on September 28.

A French diplomatic source reported that these talks took place on Tuesday, coinciding with the UN Security Council's vote in favor of re-imposing sanctions against the backdrop of the Iranian nuclear program. All eyes are on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who faces a deadline that does not extend beyond the end of Saturday to reach an agreement with his British, French, and German counterparts to avoid the return of sanctions that were frozen by the historic nuclear agreement of 2015.

While Iranian diplomacy is active to stop the "re-imposition of UN sanctions on September 28" according to a UN source, the voice of the Iranian Foreign Minister rises, asserting that diplomacy can resolve the nuclear dispute with the West "if there is political will".

However, Araghchi warned that Iran "will not respond to the language of pressure or threats regarding its nuclear activities", emphasizing that "it is time for Western countries to choose between cooperation and joint construction or continuing the confrontational approach".

This Iranian diplomatic move comes as part of Tehran's participation in the United Nations General Assembly, which this year carries special significance, as clarified by Araghchi, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the founding of the international organization and developments in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. Tehran will emphasize in its interventions the "peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program", considering itself a "peace-loving country, but it has proven during the 12-day war that it is capable of defending itself with great competence".

In a related context, Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian denied rumors about a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump before his departure to New York. Meanwhile, Iranian media reports indicated that the main goal of the visit is to hold bilateral talks and discuss the latest developments regarding relations between Iran and Europe, especially concerning the nuclear agreement and diplomatic cooperation.

It is noteworthy that these developments come after Britain, France, and Germany launched a 30-day process to re-impose sanctions in late August, accusing Tehran of not adhering to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015. A ban on weapons, uranium enrichment, and activities related to ballistic missiles is set to be re-imposed, along with freezing the assets of Iranian individuals and entities around the world, if the ongoing negotiations in New York do not achieve progress before the deadline.