Nuclear energy in Iran

"Iran, as the country with the longest coastline in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, has always supported free navigation in this region, contributing to the free passage of ships, which is very important to us. At the same time, we condemn all terrorist acts and attacks on merchant ships," the statement said.

However, it is not just a nuclear war, as indicated in the final document, a source in the Russian delegation, attending the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, told reporters, as reported by "Sputnik".

Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, the U.N. atomic watchdog said on July 6, a move that could help it develop a nuclear weapon and that three European powers said threatened talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi said on June 21 he will not allow nuclear negotiations for the sake of negotiations, in his first news conference since winning election last week.

Iran's parliament speaker said on May 23 that international inspectors may no longer access surveillance images of the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites, escalating tensions amid diplomatic efforts in Vienna to save Tehran's atomic accord with world powers.

The EU has so far been hesitant to show support for either side in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict for fear of jeopardising the peace process. EU foreign ministers will hold an extraordinary videoconference on Tuesday (18 May) in search of a common position.

Iran's Natanz nuclear site suffered a problem on April 11 involving its electrical distribution grid just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges that more quickly enrich uranium, state TV reported. It was the latest incident to strike one of Tehran's most secure sites amid negotiations over the tattered atomic accord with world powers.

The United States and Iran said on April 3 they will begin indirect negotiations with intermediaries next week to try to get both countries back into compliance with an accord limiting Iran's nuclear program, nearly three years after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief announced on Feb. 21 a "temporary solution" to allow Iranian facility inspections to continue after days of talks with officials, giving some much needed breathing space for diplomatic negotiations.

Relations with the EU could be severed if Brussels imposes sanctions that are risky for sensitive spheres of the economy, Lavrov stated. "Our starting point is that we are ready for that step in case we notice, as we have seen on several occasions before, that sanctions are being prepared that would create a risk for our economy," he pointed out.