Nuclear program of Iran

Tehran is ready to negotiate on various aspects of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Washington returns to the agreement. Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told TASS.

According to him, it is better for the United States to return to the plan and to the negotiations. In that case, Iran will be ready for discussions.

Iran withdraws from nuclear deal commitment and pledged to begin enriching uranium for its technical needs.

This comes amid a continuing escalation of tensions between Iran and the US following the death of Iran's supreme military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, in a US air strike in Baghdad.

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Iran near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, according to the US Geophysical Institute, cited by Reuters.

The quake's epicentre was less than 50 km from Iran's only nuclear power plant.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Dec. 17, American sanctions against the Islamic Republic will not last for long. 

Speaking at a press conference before flying to Malaysia, Rouhani said world countries are seeking to establish friendly relations with Iran.

One person was killed in the Iranian city of Sirjan during protests that erupted after President Hassan Rouhani's government imposed gasoline rationing and price hikes of at least 50 percent, Iranian ISNA news agency reported on Nov. 16.   

A joint statement by some European countries voiced on Nov. 11 "extreme concern" over Iran's latest move to restart enriching uranium at an underground facility.

Iran defended on Nov. 9 its decision to block an U.N. inspector from a nuclear site last week.

Iran has stepped up work at its underground Fordow nuclear facility, state TV reported on Nov. 6, a move France said showed for the first time that Tehran explicitly planned to quit a deal with world powers that curbed its atomic work.

Iran's president announced on Nov. 5 that Tehran will begin injecting uranium gas into 1,044 centrifuges, the latest step away from its nuclear deal with world powers since President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord over a year ago.

The United States offered to remove all sanctions on Iran in exchange for talks, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sept. 27 upon returning to Tehran from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to his official website.