本集介紹

照片:以色列紀念陣亡將士紀念日儀式
音樂:溫啟道

2021.04.15 國際新聞導讀-美國伊朗維也納談判一職無進展、以色列慶祝獨立73年、土耳其與伊朗總統電話會談、美俄針對烏克蘭議題之說法

川普的製裁可能會破壞拜登重新加入伊朗協議的企圖-分析
川普離開了一個陷入困境的誘餌雷區，即使拜登政府願意，它也可能難以解開。
由Yonah的傑里米BOB
2021年4月13日19:09

在可能阻礙美國和伊朗相互宣稱要重返2015年核協議的眾多障礙中，最棘手的問題之一是川普政府留下的複雜制裁基礎設施。
如果前總統川普僅僅取消了奧巴馬政府時代的製裁，那麼拜登政府取消制裁將更加容易。
取而代之的是，川普留下了一個陷入陷阱的佈滿雷區的地雷，即使拜登政府願意，它也可能難以解開。
在整個任期內，尤其是在任職的幾個月裡，川普下令對伊斯蘭共和國在人權和彈道導彈方面的行動採取一系列新制裁措施。
適用於這些類別的製裁的特殊之處在於，2015年的核協議使它們得以繼續，甚至奧巴馬政府也從未取消這些“無核”制裁。
從技術上講，這將意味著伊朗沒有理由要求取消任何制裁措施。
然而，德黑蘭要求取消所有新的川普時代製裁，並且如果要恢復交易，只能保留無核的奧巴馬時代製裁。
在上週末的公開聲明和向記者發表的評論中，美國國務院將這一問題標記為一個麻煩的問題。
不僅拜登官員認為沒有理由取消有效的人權或彈道導彈制裁，而且恰好在川普時代爆發。也是因為拜登政府至少部分同意伊朗的立場，川普時代的官員將某些核制裁標記為人權或彈道導彈類別，以使拜登在功能上和政治上都難以撤消核制裁。
因此，即使伊朗真的準備好恢復2015年協議的核限制，拜登也準備取消所有核制裁，伊朗也會相信拜登政府“直言不諱”並取消川普政府據稱故意貼錯標籤的無核制裁？
美國如何才能說服伊朗只保留“實際”人權和與彈道導彈有關的製裁，同時取消那些據稱貼錯標籤的製裁？
迄今為止，美國國務院似乎沒有直接回答這個問題，只是稱其為棘手問題。

華盛頓與德黑蘭之間的另一個癥結似乎是，伊朗人正試圖弄清美國是否總體上是認真的。
伊朗似乎對拜登政府沒有急於回到2015年的交易感到驚訝。美國官員關於他們想“延長和加強”原始協議的說法推遲了該協議。
美國國務院官員暗示，甚至不清楚伊朗的談判人員是否有充分的權力進入第一輪談判。
伊朗人對達成協議的可能性較小而不是更有可能的說法表明，伊朗的談判人員和決策者實際上根本沒有承諾或仍未決定。
其次，美國國務院官員說，伊朗尚未確定取消美國製裁所需的核查方式。
一位美國官員暗示，德黑蘭需要在談判者決定取消制裁後重返核限制的先後順序問題上做出定義。
討論中的一個方案似乎是雙方之間達成私下協議的私下協議，同時公開提出任何交易，好像交易是一次全部發生的，以便伊朗人可以節省面子。
耶路撒冷郵報（Jerusalem Post）詢問美國國務院，伊朗將對2015年尚未運行的先進離心機提出什麼要求。
根據2015年的協議，伊朗被允許使用數量有限的先進離心機，但現在已經遠遠超過了該數量。
倒轉時鐘可能不僅意味著將目前正在旋轉的離心機放在冰上。
對於伊朗來說，這個問題在政治上也將是棘手的，因為它正在護理週日的行動所造成的傷口，這場行動消滅了納坦茲核設施的電力。週二它威脅將鈾濃縮到60％的水平。
目前尚不清楚這些事件將如何影響該方的談判立場，但鑑於上述所有問號，在伊朗6月份大選之前，似乎不可能達成臨時協議以外的任何其他條件。
這意味著，下一任伊朗總統將試圖停止或重啟談判，而許多觀察人士認為，伊朗下一屆總統將比哈桑·魯哈尼總統（Hassan Rouhani）更為強硬。
如果雙方真正致力於克服障礙，仍然可以達成協議。
但是，如果他們確實失敗了，川普和總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡將實現他們的主要共同目標之一。那麼問題是接下來會發生什麼？
Trump sanctions could ruin Biden’s attempt to rejoin Iran deal -analysis
Trump left a booby-trapped minefield that could be difficult for the Biden administration to untangle even if it wishes to.
By YONAH JEREMY BOB
APRIL 13, 2021 19:09
Among the many obstacles which might block the US and Iran from their mutually professed desire to return to their 2015 nuclear deal, one of the stickiest issues is the complex sanctions infrastructure left behind by the Trump administration.
If former president Trump had merely snapped back the Obama administration era sanctions, it would have been much easier for the Biden administration to remove them.
Instead, Trump left a booby-trapped minefield that could be difficult for the Biden administration to untangle even if it wishes to.
Throughout his term and especially in his waning months in office, Trump ordered a range of new sanctions relating to the Islamic Republic’s actions regarding human rights and ballistic missiles.
What is special about sanctions that fit into these categories is that the 2015 nuclear deal allowed them to continue and even the Obama administration never removed these “non-nuclear” sanctions.
Technically, that would mean Iran would have no basis to demand the removal of any of these sanctions.
Yet, Tehran has demanded that all new Trump era sanctions be removed and that only non-nuclear Obama era sanctions can remain if a return to the deal is to occur.
In both public statements and comments to reporters over the weekend, the US State Department flagged this issue as a messy one to navigate.
It is not only that Biden officials see no reason to remove human rights or ballistic missiles sanctions which are valid, but just happened to come out during the Trump era. It is also because the Biden administration at least partially agrees with Iran that Trump era officials labeled some nuclear sanctions under the category of human rights or ballistic missiles to make it both functionally and politically harder for Biden to undo them.
So even if Iran really is ready to return to the 2015 deal’s nuclear limitations and Biden is ready to remove all nuclear sanctions, will Iran trust the Biden administration to “play it straight” and remove sanctions which the Trump administration allegedly intentionally mislabeled non-nuclear?
How can the US convince Iran it is only keeping “real” human rights and ballistic missiles-related sanctions, while removing those which are allegedly mislabeled?
To date, the US State Department does not appear to have a direct answer to this issue other than referring to it as a sticky one.

Another sticking point between Washington and Tehran seems to be that the Iranians are trying to feel out whether the US is serious in general.
Iran seems to have been surprised that the Biden administration did not rush back into the 2015 deal. It was put off by American officials’ statements that they want to “lengthen and strengthen” the original deal.
For their part, US State Department officials implied that it was not even clear that Iranian negotiators came into the first negotiating round with full authority to jump forward.
An Iranian narrative that a deal is less rather than more likely would suggest that Iran’s negotiators and decision-makers are not actually committed at all or remain undecided.
Next, US State Department officials said that Iran has not defined what verification they would require for removal of US sanctions.
A US official implied that Tehran would need to define this before negotiators can decide the issue of sequencing a return to nuclear limitations with sanctions removal.
One formula under discussion appears to be a private agreement to sequence between the sides while publicly presenting any deal as though it happened all at once so that the Iranians can save face.
The Jerusalem Post asked the US State Department what it would demand of Iran regarding advanced centrifuges which were not yet operating in 2015.
Under the 2015 deal, Iran was allowed a limited number of advanced centrifuges, but it has now gone way beyond that number.
Turning back the clock might mean more than simply putting currently spinning centrifuges on ice.
This issue will also be politically delicate for Iran as it nurses its wounds from Sunday’s operation which wiped out its electricity at the Natanz nuclear facility. On Tuesday it threatened to enrich uranium up to the 60% level.
It is still unclear how these events will impact the side’s negotiating positions, but with all of the above question marks, it is looking more likely that nothing beyond an interim deal can possibly be reached before Iran’s June elections.
This means that the next Iranian president, who many observers believe will be a more overt hardliner than President Hassan Rouhani, will try to halt or reset negotiations.
If both sides are truly committed to overcoming the obstacles, a deal may still be reached.
But if they do fail, Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have achieved one of their major mutual goals. The question then would be what will come next?
在烏克蘭局勢緊張的情況下，拜登提議與普京舉行峰會
自拜登於1月20日成為總統以來，這只是兩國領導人之間的第二次對話。這次對話是在美國和歐洲越來越擔心俄羅斯對待烏克蘭的情況下進行的。
由路透社
2021年4月13日19:36


美國總統拜登站在空軍一號的前面。
（照片來源：REUTERS / JOSHUA ROBERTS）
廣告
華盛頓-美國總統喬·拜登週二在電話中提議與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京舉行首腦會議，他在講話中強調美國對烏克蘭領土完整的承諾，並對俄羅斯在克里米亞和烏克蘭邊界的軍事集結表示關注。白宮說。
白宮在一份簡短的聲明中說：“拜登總統還明確表示，為了回應俄羅斯的行動，例如網絡入侵和選舉干擾，美國將堅定捍衛自己的國家利益。”
“拜登總統強調了美國對烏克蘭主權和領土完整的堅定承諾。總統對俄羅斯在被佔領的克里米亞和烏克蘭邊境突然增兵表示關切，並呼籲俄羅斯緩和緊張局勢。”添加。
自拜登於1月20日成為總統以來，這只是兩國領導人之間的第二次對話。這次對話是在美國和歐洲越來越擔心俄羅斯對待烏克蘭的情況下進行的。
西方官員說，俄羅斯今年已將數千名准備戰鬥的部隊轉移到烏克蘭邊界，這是自2014年從烏克蘭佔領克里米亞以來的最大數量的俄羅斯部隊。最近幾週，烏克蘭東部的戰鬥升級，那裡的政府軍與俄羅斯進行了戰鬥。支持的分離主義者參加了長達七年的衝突，基輔說這已造成14,000人喪生。
懷特說：“拜登總統重申了他的目標，即與美國建立符合俄羅斯利益的穩定和可預測的關係，並在未來幾個月內提議在第三國舉行首腦會議，討論美國和俄羅斯面臨的所有問題。”房屋聲明已添加。
Biden proposes summit with Putin amid tensions over Ukraine
The conversation was only the second between the two leaders since Biden became president on Jan. 20 and it took place amid growing US and European concerns about Russian treatment of Ukraine.
By REUTERS
APRIL 13, 2021 19:36

US President Joe Biden stands in front of Air Force One.
(photo credit: REUTERS/JOSHUA ROBERTS)
WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden proposed a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone call on Tuesday in which he stressed the US commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and voiced concern about a Russian military build-up in Crimea and on Ukraine's borders, the White House said.
"President Biden also made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to Russia's actions, such as cyber intrusions and election interference," the White House said in a brief statement.
"President Biden emphasized the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The President voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions," it added.
The conversation was only the second between the two leaders since Biden became president on Jan. 20 and it took place amid growing US and European concerns about Russian treatment of Ukraine.
Western officials say Russia has moved thousands of combat-ready troops to Ukraine's borders this year, the largest massing of Russian troops since it seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Fighting has escalated in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people.
"President Biden reaffirmed his goal of building a stable and predictable relationship with Russia consistent with U.S. interests, and proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months to discuss the full range of issues facing the United States and Russia," the White House statement added.
烏克蘭：俄羅斯可能在克里米亞儲存核武器
由路透社
2021年4月14日23:46

2020年1月9日，在黑海北部的俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京（Vladimir Putin）參加的北海和黑海艦隊聯合演習中，可以看到俄羅斯海軍的艦船和噴氣式戰鬥機。
（照片來源：SPUTNIK / ALEXEI DRUZHININ / KREMLIN VIA REUTERS）
烏克蘭國防部長周三表示，俄羅斯正在為克里米亞準備潛在的儲存核武器做準備，並警告說莫斯科可能會進攻烏克蘭，以確保被吞併的半島的水供應。
安德烈·塔蘭（Andrii Taran）在布魯塞爾歐洲議會國防小組委員會講話時也表示，他不能排除克里米亞的俄羅斯部隊可以在2021年“進行實質性軍事挑釁”。
Ukraine: Russia may store nuclear weapons in Crimea
By REUTERS
APRIL 14, 2021 23:46

Russian Navy's ships and jet fighters are seen during the joint drills of the Northern and Black Sea fleets, attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the Black Sea, off the coast of Crimea January 9, 2020
(photo credit: SPUTNIK/ALEXEI DRUZHININ/KREMLIN VIA REUTERS)
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Ukraine's defense minister said on Wednesday that Russia is preparing Crimea for potentially storing nuclear weapons and warned that Moscow could attack Ukraine to ensure water supplies for the annexed peninsula.
Andrii Taran, speaking to the European Parliament's defense sub-committee in Brussels, also said he could not rule out that Russia forces in Crimea could "undertake substantive military provocations" in 2021.
伊朗駁回維也納核協議提議“不值得一看”
納坦茲工廠遭到破壞後，談判陷入混亂，至高無上的領導人哈梅內伊警告說，美國時間可能會用完
由喬恩GAMBRELL今天晚上9:02 0


在伊朗最高領導人辦公室官方網站上發布的這張照片中，戴著防護口罩的最高領導人Ayatollah Ali Khamenei參加了2021年4月14日星期三在伊朗德黑蘭舉行的會議（伊朗最高領導人辦公室通過AP）
阿拉伯聯合酋長國迪拜（美聯社）-伊朗最高領導人周三駁回了在維也納舉行的會談中提出的旨在拯救德黑蘭與世界大國的核協議的最初提議。在對他的國家的一個原子地點發動襲擊之後，他形容他們“不值得一看”。
阿伊亞圖拉·阿里·哈梅內伊（Ayatollah Ali Khamenei）對伊斯蘭共和國的所有國家事務擁有最終決定權，這是在維也納進行的非正式對話繼續進行之前進行的。
週末對伊朗主要核濃縮場的襲擊被懷疑是由以色列進行的，這些談判已經陷入混亂。德黑蘭宣布將對鈾進行濃縮，以將鈾濃縮至多60％。
卡梅內伊在伊朗齋月第一天的致辭中說：“他們提供的報價通常傲慢自大，而且不值得一看。”
在說他對伊朗的談判代表保持積極態度的同時，他批評了美國，並警告說時間可能會用盡。
哈梅內伊說：“談判不應該成為減員的話題。” “他們不應以黨派拖延和延長會談的方式進行。這對國家有害。”
同樣在星期三，伊朗總統呼籲伊朗在破壞分子襲擊一個核電站後，大幅增加其鈾濃縮的決定“是對你邪惡的回應”，他說以色列希望破壞正在進行的旨在恢復德黑蘭與世界大國的核協議的談判。


右下方的總統哈桑·魯哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）身著新型離心機，並在2021年4月10日參觀伊朗在德黑蘭舉行的伊朗新核成就展覽會時聽取了伊朗原子能組織負責人阿里·阿克巴爾·薩利（Ali Akbar Salehi）的講話。 AP）
本週末，納坦茲核設施遭到破壞，這似乎是兩國之間不斷升級的影子戰爭的一部分。以色列當局未對襲擊發表評論，但廣泛懷疑已發動襲擊。
伊朗週二宣布，將對此次襲擊作出反應，將鈾濃縮提高至60％，這是有史以​​來的最高水平。隨著以色列總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡發誓永遠不允許德黑蘭獲得核武器，這可能會進一步報復。儘管伊朗的舉動使濃縮水平保持在武器等級90％以下，但距離此刻僅一小步之遙。
一位熱情洋溢的總統哈桑·魯哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）在向內閣發表講話時說，襲擊中受損的第一代IR-1離心機將被先進的IR-6離心機所取代，後者可以更快地富集鈾。
魯哈尼說：“您希望在會談中空手，但我們的手已滿。”
他指的是在維也納進行的會談，目的是為美國尋找一條重新與世界大國重新簽署德黑蘭核協議並讓伊朗再次遵守其限制的途徑。前總統唐納德·特朗普於2018年退出美國的該協議阻止了伊朗儲存足夠的高濃縮鈾，以便能夠購買核武器以換取解除經濟制裁的權利。
魯哈尼（Rohanani）補充說：“濃縮60％可以解決您的邪惡。……我們切斷了您的兩隻手，一隻手用IR-6離心機，另一隻手用60％的離心機。”
魯哈尼還指責以色列是納坦茲襲擊的幕後黑手。


2021年4月7日，伊朗的納坦茲核設施（Planet Labs Inc.通過AP）
“顯然，這是猶太復國主義者的罪行。如果猶太復國主義者對我們的國家採取行動，我們將作出回應。
在紀念陣亡將士紀念日的耶路撒冷，內塔尼亞胡似乎提到了伊朗。
他說：“我們決不能對戰爭的威脅和那些企圖消滅我們的人的滅絕保持冷漠。”
魯哈尼（Rohanani）在周三發表的評論中堅稱，伊朗仍希望維也納會談能夠導致就其方案進行談判達成和解，並隨之解除懲罰性制裁。
核協議的所有各方法國，德國和英國周三發表聯合聲明，對伊朗增加濃縮鈾的決定表示“嚴重關切”。
兩國表示：“這是一個嚴重的發展，因為高濃縮鈾的生產構成了核武器生產的重要一步。” “伊朗對這一級別的濃縮沒有平民的可信需求。”
伊朗的區域競爭對手沙特阿拉伯也發表了類似的聲明，稱在這一級別上進行充實“不能被視為旨在實現和平目的的計劃。”
沙特阿拉伯說：“沙特阿拉伯呼籲伊朗避免升級，不要讓該地區的安全與穩定遭受更大的壓力，並認真參與當前的談判。”
伊朗堅稱其核計劃是和平的，儘管西方和國際原子能機構表示，德黑蘭一直到2003年底才有組織的核計劃。我們認為，關鍵的核武器開發活動是生產核裝置所必需的。”


伊朗國旗在聯合國大樓外面揮舞，聯合國大樓是國際原子能機構國際原子能機構的所在地，該辦公室於2019年7月10日在奧地利維也納舉行。（美聯社照片/羅納德·扎克）
伊朗此前曾表示，可以將濃縮至多60％的鈾用於核動力船。但是，伊斯蘭共和國目前在海軍中沒有這種船隻。
伊朗一直在濃縮高達20％的燃料，即使這是達到武器級水平的一小步技術步驟。
官員最初表示，濃縮將在星期三開始。但是，伊朗特使給國際原子能機構卡澤姆·加里巴巴迪（Kazem Gharibabadi）的星期三清晨發推文暗示，可能會晚些。
後來他在致國際原子能機構總幹事拉斐爾·格羅西（Rafael Grossi）的信中警告說，“（以色列）政權進行的任何冒險活動”都將打擊伊朗的核設施。
加里巴巴迪寫道：“最近發生的怯of的核恐怖主義行為只會加強我們前進的決心，並用更先進，更先進的機器取代所有（損壞的）離心機。”
原子能機構說，國際原子能機構視察員星期三訪問了納坦茲，這是自破壞事件以來的第一次。
最初在納坦茲發生的周末襲擊只被描述為向地面車間和地下濃縮大廳供電的電網停電，但後來伊朗官員開始稱其為襲擊。
伊朗議會研究中心的強硬負責人阿里雷扎·扎卡尼（Alireza Zakani）在接受國家電視台採訪時提到“幾千台離心機被損毀”。但是，沒有其他官員提供該數字，也沒有發布任何後果的圖像。
Iran dismisses Vienna nuclear deal offers as ‘not worth looking at’
As negotiations thrown into disarray following Natanz facility sabotage, supreme leader Khamenei warns the US time could be running out
By JON GAMBRELLToday, 9:02 pm 0

In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wearing a protective face mask, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 14, 2021 (Office of the Iranian supreme leader via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday dismissed initial offers being made at talks in Vienna aimed at saving Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers. He described them as “not worth looking at” after an attack on an atomic site in his country.
The comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state in the Islamic Republic, come as informal talks in Vienna continue ahead of a planned formal round of negotiations.
The talks already have been thrown into disarray by a weekend attack on Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site suspected to have been carried out by Israel. Tehran retaliated by announcing it would enrich uranium up to 60%.
“The offers they provide are usually arrogant and humiliating (and) are not worth looking at,” Khamenei said in an address marking the first day of Ramadan in Iran.
While saying he remained positive about Iran’s negotiators, he criticized the US and warned time could be running out.
“The talks shouldn’t become talks of attrition,” Khamenei said. “They shouldn’t be in a way that parties drag on and prolong the talks. This is harmful to the country.”
Also on Wednesday, Iran’s president called his country’s decision to dramatically increase its uranium enrichment after saboteurs attacked a nuclear site “an answer to your evilness,” saying Israel hoped to derail ongoing talks aimed at reviving Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers.


President Hassan Rouhani, second right, is shown new centrifuges and listens to head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, while visiting an exhibition of Iran’s new nuclear achievements in Tehran, Iran, April 10, 2021. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
This weekend’s sabotage at the Natanz nuclear facility appears to be part of an escalating shadow war between the two countries. Israeli authorities have not commented on the attack, but are widely suspected of having carried it out.
Iran announced Tuesday it would increase uranium enrichment up to 60%, its highest level ever, in response to the attack. That could draw further retaliation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed never to allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. While Iran’s move keeps enrichment below weapons-grade levels of 90%, it is a short step away.
Speaking to his Cabinet, an impassioned President Hassan Rouhani said the first-generation IR-1 centrifuges that were damaged in the attack would be replaced by advanced IR-6 centrifuges that enrich uranium much faster.
“You wanted to make our hands empty during the talks but our hands are full,” Rouhani said.
He was referring to ongoing talks in Vienna that are aimed at finding a way for the United States to re-enter Tehran’s nuclear agreement with world powers and have Iran comply again with its limits. The accord, from which former President Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018, prevented Iran from stockpiling enough high-enriched uranium to be able to pursue a nuclear weapon in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Rouhani added: “60% enrichment is an answer to your evilness. … We cut off both of your hands, one with IR-6 centrifuges and another one with 60%.”
Rouhani also accused Israel of being behind the Natanz attack.


Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on April 7, 2021 (Planet Labs Inc. via AP)
“Apparently this is a crime by the Zionists. If the Zionists take an action against our nation, we will respond,” he said, without elaborating.
In Jerusalem at a Memorial Day commemoration, Netanyahu appeared to reference Iran.
“We must never remain apathetic to the threats of war and extermination of those who seek to eliminate us,” he said.
Rouhani in his comments Wednesday insisted Iran is still hoping that the Vienna talks lead to a negotiated settlement over its program — and the accompanying lifting of punishing sanctions.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all parties to the nuclear deal, issued a joint statement Wednesday expressing their “grave concern” over Iran’s decision to increase enrichment.
“This is a serious development since the production of highly enriched uranium constitutes an important step in the production of a nuclear weapon,” the countries said. “Iran has no credible civilian need for enrichment at this level.”
Saudi Arabia, a regional rival to Iran, similarly issued a statement, saying enriching at that level “could not be considered a program intended for peaceful purposes.”
“The kingdom calls on Iran to avoid escalation and not to subject the security and stability of the region to more tension, and to engage seriously in the current negotiations,” Saudi Arabia said.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, though the West and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Tehran had an organized military nuclear program up until the end of 2003. An annual US intelligence report released Tuesday maintained the American assessment that “Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities that we judge would be necessary to produce a nuclear device.”


The Iranian flag waves outside of the UN building that hosts the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, office inside in Vienna, Austria, July 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
Iran previously had said it could use uranium enriched up to 60% for nuclear-powered ships. However, the Islamic Republic currently has no such ships in its navy.
Iran had been enriching up to 20% — and even that was a short technical step to weapons-grade levels.
Officials initially said the enrichment would begin Wednesday. However, an early Wednesday morning tweet from Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, suggested it might come later.
He later posted a letter addressed to IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warning against “any adventurism by (the) Israeli regime” against Iranian nuclear sites.
“The most recent cowardly act of nuclear terrorism will only strengthen our determination to march forward and to replace all (damaged) centrifuges with even more advanced and sophisticated machines,” Gharibabadi wrote.
IAEA inspectors visited Natanz on Wednesday on their first trip since the sabotage, the agency said, without elaborating on what they found.
The weekend attack at Natanz was initially described only as a blackout in the electrical grid feeding above-ground workshops and underground enrichment halls — but later Iranian officials began calling it an attack.
Alireza Zakani, the hard-line head of the Iranian parliament’s research center, referred to “several thousand centrifuges damaged and destroyed” in a state TV interview. However, no other official has offered that figure and no images of the aftermath have been released.
伊朗的魯哈尼，土耳其的埃爾多安表示將討論以色列的“區域活動”
報告說，隨著緊張局勢在多個方面不斷攀升，兩位領導人呼籲耶路撒冷達成中東正常化協議
由TOI工作人員今天11:08 pm 0

土耳其總統雷傑普·塔伊普·埃爾多安（Recep Tayyip Erdogan）將於2020年6月29日在安卡拉總統府舉行的新聞發布會上講話。
伊朗總統哈桑·魯哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）週三與土耳其外長雷塞普·塔伊普·埃爾多安（Recep Tayyip Erdogan）談及以色列在中東的行動。
Ynet新聞網站報導，兩位領導人討論了“以色列在該地區的最新活動”，以及以色列去年與幾個阿拉伯國家簽署的正常化協議。
伊朗梅爾通訊社說，魯哈尼和土耳其在電話會議上討論了區域和經濟合作。
發出這一呼籲之際，中東高度緊張是由伊朗將核計劃歸咎於以色列，德黑蘭的升級反應以及據稱對商船進行的針鋒相對的罷工引發的。
伊朗還與世界大國舉行談判，以挽救其慘淡的2015年核協議。美國上週與伊朗展開了間接談判。
週二，一名伊朗高級官員證實，週日納坦茲核設施發生爆炸，摧毀或損壞了數千台用於濃縮鈾的離心機。
伊朗表示，將在納坦茲爆炸（有史以來最高水平）之後，將鈾濃縮率提高至60％，距離武器級水平僅一步之遙。


伊朗總統哈桑·魯哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）在2021年4月13日在伊朗德黑蘭的會談中聽取了俄羅斯外交大臣謝爾蓋·拉夫羅夫（Sergey Lavrov）的講話（俄羅斯外交部新聞處通過美聯社）
魯哈尼星期三表示，增加鈾濃縮的決定是對以色列“核恐怖主義”的回應。
以色列暗示會捲入其中，但未正式確認在襲擊中起任何作用。總理內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）曾多次發誓絕不讓德黑蘭獲得核武器，以色列已兩次先發製人地轟炸中東國家以停止其核計劃。
維也納的談判定於週四恢復。有關國家的代表說，上週的討論是“建設性的”，但進展甚微。
伊朗最高領導人星期三駁回了在維也納會談中提出的最初提議，稱在納坦茲核設施遭到襲擊後，他們“不值得一看”。
以色列和土耳其關係冷淡，目前與安卡拉對巴勒斯坦人的支持以及地中海地區相互競爭的經濟利益背道而馳。
Iran’s Rouhani, Turkey’s Erdogan said to discuss Israel’s ‘regional activities’
Two leaders hold call on Jerusalem’s Middle East moves, normalization agreements, report says, as tensions climb on several fronts
By TOI STAFFToday, 11:08 pm 0


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on June 29, 2020. (Adem ALTAN / AFP)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke Wednesday with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about Israeli moves in the Middle East.
The two leaders discussed “recent Israeli activities in the region,” and the normalization agreements Israel inked last year with several Arab states, the Ynet news site reported.
Iran’s Mehr news agency said Rouhani and Turkey discussed regional and economic cooperation on the call.
The call came amid high tensions in the Middle East sparked by an attack on Iran’s nuclear program that it blamed on Israel, Tehran’s escalatory response and alleged tit-for-tat strikes on commercial shipping vessels.
Iran is also holding negotiations with world powers aimed at rescuing its tattered 2015 nuclear deal. The US opened indirect talks with Iran last week.
On Tuesday, a senior Iranian official confirmed the Sunday blast at the Natanz nuclear facility destroyed or damaged thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Iran said it will ramp up uranium enrichment to 60% following the explosion in Natanz, its highest level ever, and a short step away from weapons-grade levels.


Iranian President Hassan Rouhani listens to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their talks in Tehran, Iran, April 13, 2021. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)
Rouhani said Wednesday the decision to boost uranium enrichment was a response to Israel’s “nuclear terrorism.”
Israel has hinted at being involved, but not officially confirmed any role in the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed never to allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon and Israel has twice preemptively bombed Mideast nations to stop their atomic programs.
The talks in Vienna are set to resume on Thursday. Representatives of countries involved said last week’s discussions were “constructive,” but yielded little progress.
Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday dismissed initial offers made at the talks in Vienna, describing them as “not worth looking at” after the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility.
Israel and Turkey have frosty relations, and are currently at odds over Ankara’s support for the Palestinians and competing economic interests in the Mediterranean.