Iran nuclear deal framework

Last year saw escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.  However, it is expected that the biggest crisis the world will face this year will arise in the Middle East. 

Germany, France and Great Britain fought fiercely for the nuclear treaty with Iran, which was signed five years ago. Since the end of 2018, since Trump left the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, its stability has been in question, reports Deutsche Welle.

Iran has moved to stop UN inspections of its nuclear sites and step up uranium enrichment under a new law approved by its parliament.

 The bill would require the government to resume enriching uranium to 20% - well above the 3.67% agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal - if crippling sanctions are not eased in two months.

Iran's parliament on Dec. 1 approved a bill that would suspend U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost its uranium enrichment if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal do not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions.

Iran is not interested in negotiating with Washington, but if there is mediation, it should focus on the US returning to the 2015 nuclear deal, which they left last year. This was stated by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, quoted by BTA.

US President Donald Trump warned that Iran is "playing with fire" after Tehran said it exceeded a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Washington, AFP reported.

"They know what they're doing. They know what they're playing with and I think they're playing with fire," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Iran.

Iran can resume high-level uranium enrichment within five days if the United States tears up the nuclear deal, the head of its Atomic Energy Organisation said Aug. 22.

"If we make a determination, at most in five days we can start 20 percent enrichment in Fordo (nuclear plant)," said Ali Akbar Salehi in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB. 

Iran should not withdraw from the landmark international nuclear monitoring agreement brokered two years ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday, quoted by Anadolu Agency.

President Hassan Rouhani warned yesterday that Iran could abandon its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers within hours if the United States keeps on imposing new sanctions.

In a speech to parliament, he also hit out at U.S. counterpart Donald Trump saying that he had shown the world that Washington was "not a good partner."

Iran said on Aug. 3 that new U.S. sanctions were a violation of its nuclear deal with world powers, piling pressure on President Hassan Rouhani as he started his second term.

Rouhani was sworn in by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Aug. 3 following his re-election in May.