As nuclear talks between Iran and the E3 — the United Kingdom, France and Germany — began on Monday in Geneva over Tehran's nuclear enrichment program, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran revealed plans to ramp up its nuclear power production.

AEOI head Mohammad Eslami announced on Monday that the organization had begun working to expand Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in order to generate 3,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2027 — part of a larger plan to increase nuclear power production to 20,000 megawatts of electricity by 2041.  

Meanwhile, in Geneva, a second round of nuclear talks between Iran and the E3 began on Monday and will continue throughout the week. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs and key nuclear negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that these talks “are not formal negotiations but rather an opportunity to clarify issues and engage in deeper consultations,” implying that this week’s talks will largely serve as the groundwork for further formal negotiations.  

An earlier round of talks took place in late November in Geneva.