Iran’s Nuclear Deception: The World Must Stop Playing Along

This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire.

By Ali Safavi
Real Clear Wire

As expected, the latest round of E3 talks with Tehran in Istanbul yielded no tangible results. Once again, both sides agreed to meet again—continuing a familiar cycle that has defined more than two decades of negotiations between the Iranian regime and its foreign interlocutors. But beyond the diplomatic theater lies a deeper, more troubling reality: the Iranian regime’s long and deliberate pattern of lies—not only about its nuclear ambitions but also about its repeated violations of commitments made during negotiations with Europe and under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Let’s speak plainly.

For over thirty years, the Iranian regime has operated on three pillars: denial, deception, and duplicity. This isn’t just about centrifuges and uranium enrichment. It’s about a regime that has weaponized dishonesty as a strategic tool—one it uses not only to advance its nuclear program but to manipulate the international community.

While much of the global discourse has rightly focused on the technical and strategic threats posed by Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, it’s time to spotlight the regime’s consistent and calculated dishonesty. Because this isn’t just a nuclear issue—it’s a credibility crisis.

Since the early 2000s, Iran has used negotiations not to resolve tensions, but to buy time. Time to enrich uranium. Time to build secret facilities. Time to advance a nuclear weapons program under the cover of diplomacy.

The record is damning.

In 2003, the regime signed the Tehran Declaration. In 2004, the Paris Agreement. In 2005, it claimed to suspend enrichment. But behind the scenes, it was doing the opposite—hiding centrifuges, expanding covert operations, and building underground sites. These violations weren’t uncovered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or Western intelligence. They were exposed by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Iranian resistance movement.

This is not speculation. It’s documented fact.

Hassan Rouhani, the regime’s former president and chief nuclear negotiator, admitted in his memoir that negotiations were used to buy time. While Europe negotiated in good faith, the regime rushed to complete key facilities like the Isfahan uranium conversion plant. These so-called “suspensions” were never genuine. They were tactical pauses—designed to dodge sanctions and military pressure while quietly advancing nuclear infrastructure.

Then came the JCPOA in 2015—a deal hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. But even then, Tehran was already preparing to cheat. In a 2019 interview, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the regime’s Atomic Energy Organization, revealed that Iran had secretly acquired replacement tubes for the Arak reactor before it was supposedly disabled. He admitted the regime photoshopped images of the cement-filled reactor to fool the world. This wasn’t just deception—it was premeditated fraud.

While the world applauded the deal, the regime ramped up yellowcake production, developed advanced centrifuges, and pursued nuclear propulsion—all while insisting it had no military intentions.

Since then, the violations have only escalated.

Iran is now enriching uranium to 60% purity at multiple sites—dangerously close to weapons-grade. It has deployed advanced centrifuges, blocked IAEA inspections, and refused to explain undeclared nuclear activities. Experts warn: Tehran is now just months, if not weeks, away from having enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.

This is not a misunderstanding. It’s a strategy.

The regime’s playbook is clear:

•             Agree to temporary concessions.

•             Win sanctions relief.

•             Violate every commitment once the pressure fades.

And it doesn’t stop at enrichment. The regime is advancing weaponization and delivery systems. It’s building ballistic missiles. It’s working on warhead production. It’s supporting proxy militias and undermining regional stability. This is not a peaceful program—it’s a military one.

The regime’s intent is survival—not peace. And nuclear capability is its insurance policy.

Just days ago, regime Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared: “We cannot give up enrichment. It is an achievement of our scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride.”

Let’s be clear: this is not national pride. It’s regime survival—at any cost.

So, what must be done?

The era of talks without consequences is over. Tehran’s history of deception demands accountability. The international community must act.

The E3 must trigger the snapback mechanism. Reinstate all six UN Security Council resolutions. Impose real, comprehensive sanctions. Demand zero enrichment. Demand total dismantlement of the regime’s nuclear infrastructure. Anything less is a green light for further violations.

The world stands at a crossroads.

Will we fall for the same empty promises again? Or will we act—decisively, urgently, and with resolve?

If we are to act meaningfully, we must recognize that the only effective and viable solution to Tehran’s nuclear threat lies in regime change by the Iranian people. They, along with the organized resistance, have demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in confronting this regime. Until that day arrives—and rest assured, it will—the international community must stand firm and resolute in supporting their struggle.

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Ali Safavi is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Follow him on @amsafavi

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