As the wheels of history have been turning rapidly in the Middle East over the year, and the world is preparing for the potential re-imposition of incoming US President Donald Trump’s policy, Iran stated on Saturday that 2025 would be a pivotal year for its nuclear programme.
Trump, with a policy of “maximum pressure”, in 2018, withdrew from a 2015 agreement brokered by his predecessor Barack Obama under which Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment—capable of producing material for nuclear weapons—in exchange for the easing of US and UN economic sanctions.
“2025 will be an important year regarding Iran’s nuclear issue,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters in Beijing. Speaking in remarks broadcast on Iran’s state television, he said the matter had been discussed during talks with his Chinese counterpart.
Araqchi did not mention Trump by name or clarify why 2025 would hold particular significance.
Iranian leaders’ primary concern may be that Trump could enable Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target Iran’s nuclear facilities while further intensifying US sanctions on its vital oil industry.
Meanwhile, Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed that “the international community should respect the sovereignty, security, stability, unity and territorial integrity of Middle East countries,” as per Beijing’s foreign ministry.
Araghchi is on his first visit to China since being appointed foreign minister of Iran.
Araghchi and Wang also discussed Iran’s nuclear programme, which countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States claim could be advancing towards the development of weapons.
China, a signatory to the historic agreement that offered sanctions relief in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, reiterated its support for Iran. On Saturday, Wang assured Araghchi that Beijing “firmly supports the Iranian side.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian rial hit a new all-time low against the US dollar on Saturday amid uncertainty over Trump’s forthcoming presidency, set to begin on 20 January.
The rial fell to 820,500 per dollar on the unofficial market, down from 808,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which tracks exchange rates. The Bazar360.com website also reported that the dollar was selling for approximately 820,500 rials.
With an official inflation rate of about 35%, Iranians seeking to protect their savings have increasingly turned to buying dollars, other foreign currencies, gold, or cryptocurrencies. Since Trump’s election in November, the rial has depreciated by around 18%.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
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