Iran could end ban on possessing nuclear weapons if sanctions reimposed

The nuclear debate inside Iran is likely to shift towards the possession of its own weapons if the West goes ahead with a threat to reimpose all UN sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, Report informs via The Guardian.

Araghchi said in an interview that Iran already had the capability and knowledge to create nuclear weapons, but said they did not form part of its security strategy.

Western officials will be concerned by Araghchi’s warning over the reimposition of sanctions, which were lifted when Iran signed the 2015 deal intended to limit its nuclear activities.

He was speaking in Lisbon before a meeting between Iranian and European negotiators in Geneva on Friday, which he described as a brainstorming session to see if there was a way out of their impasse.

The minister admitted he was pessimistic about the meeting, saying he was not sure Iran was speaking to the right party.

Araghchi said Iran remained within the confines of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, however, and still sought cooperation. “We have no intention to go further than 60% for the time being, and this is our determination right now,” he said. “I would like to re-emphasise that we have chosen the line of cooperation in order to come to a dignified resolution of this problem.”