Israel Envoy To UN Says Iran Uses Nuclear Talks To Buy Time To Reach Weapons-Grade Uranium

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2021) Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on Tuesday accused Iran of using the nuclear diplomacy talks in Vienna to buy time to achieve near weapons-grade uranium enrichment.

"The real threat to global security is quickly advancing Iran continued to progress towards its goal of becoming a nuclear threshold state," Erdan said during a UN Security Council meeting. "It is using the diplomatic talks to buy time so that it can enrich uranium to near weapons-grade levels, while gaining nuclear know-how that can never be reversed."

Erdan also stated that Tehran continues to violate its international commitments regarding enrichment and stockpiling of uranium while obstructing the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is charged with monitoring Iran's nuclear program.

Since April, Vienna has been hosting talks aimed reviving the Iran nuclear agreement. The sixth round of talks finished on June 20 and the negotiations have since hit a deadlock. Iran has insisted the negotiations should resume after the country's new President Ebrahim Raisi takes office and a new government was formed in August.

According to the Russian permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, the work to restore the agreement was completed by almost 90%, with the only outstanding issue being the political aspect of United States' obligations.