Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran

General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
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Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran

General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
General view of the canals at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

The Netherlands said Wednesday it had no consular access to a Dutch man detained in Iran, where authorities say they have arrested dozens of foreigners in connection with mass protests.

"It is disappointing that, despite continuous pressure, the Iranian authorities have so far not granted consular access to this Dutch detainee," the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament.

Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stirring up widespread protests triggered by the death in custody of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman.

Mahsa Amini died three days after her arrest by the country's morality police for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

"Iran has not shared any evidence of the alleged foreign interference," AFP quoted the Dutch government as saying.

On Tuesday Iran's judiciary said it had arrested 40 foreigners during the two months of protests, accusing them of being "implicated in the recent riots".

It did not specify their nationalities, or when or where they were arrested.

In September, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of nine foreigners in connection with the protests, including someone from the Netherlands.



Iran Says No Sanctions Relief in US Nuclear Proposal

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. AFP/File
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. AFP/File
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Iran Says No Sanctions Relief in US Nuclear Proposal

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. AFP/File
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. AFP/File

Iran's parliament speaker said on Sunday that the latest US proposal for a nuclear deal does not include the lifting of sanctions, state media reported as negotiations appeared to have hit a roadblock.

The two foes have held five rounds of Omani-mediated talks since April, seeking to replace a landmark agreement between Tehran and world powers that set restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief, before US President Donald Trump abandoned the accord in 2018 during his first term, said AFP.

In a video aired on Iranian state TV, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that "the US plan does not even mention the lifting of sanctions".

He called it a sign of dishonesty, accusing the Americans of seeking to impose a "unilateral" agreement that Tehran would not accept.

"The delusional US president should know better and change his approach if he is really looking for a deal," Ghalibaf said.

On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran said it had received "elements" of a US proposal, with officials later taking issue with "ambiguities" in the draft text.

The US and its Western allies have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a charge Iran has consistently denied, insisting that its atomic program was solely for peaceful purposes.

Key issues in the negotiations have been the removal of biting economic sanctions and uranium enrichment.

Tehran says it has the right to enrich uranium under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while the Trump administration has called any Iranian enrichment a "red line".

Trump, who has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions on Iran since taking office in January, has repeatedly said it will not be allowed any uranium enrichment under a potential deal.

On Tuesday, Iran's top negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said the country "will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium".

IAEA meeting

According to the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that enriches uranium up to 60 percent -- close to the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected the latest US proposal and said enrichment was "key" to Iran's nuclear program.

The IAEA Board of Governors is scheduled to meet in Vienna starting Monday and discuss Iran's nuclear activities.

On Sunday the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran warned it could reduce its level of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog if it adopts a resolution against it.

"Certainly, the IAEA should not expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its broad and friendly cooperation," the Iranian agency's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told state TV.

Araghchi on Friday accused European powers of "opting for malign action against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors", warning on X that "Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights".

A quarterly report from the IAEA issued last week cited a "general lack of cooperation" from Iran and raised concerns over undeclared nuclear material.

Tehran has rejected the report as politically motivated and based on "forged documents" it said had been provided by its arch foe Israel.