“We have already increased our [uranium] production in Natanz. From today, the countdown has begun, and by June 27, our uranium production will have surpassed 300 kilograms,” said Behrouz Kamalvandi during a press conference at Arak heavy water nuclear complex on Monday.
The decision to increase uranium production is part of Iran’s measures to reduce commitments to the JCPOA following the US’ unilateral withdrawal from the agreement last year, and the EU’s failure to safeguard Iran’s economic interests in the face of US sanctions.
We are waiting for the officials’ decision on starting the second phase of measures to reduce our JCPOA-related commitments, Kamalvandi said, adding “Europeans still have time. We waited a year [for them to save the nuclear deal], which was our ‘strategic patience.’”
Stressing that Iran will no longer remain patient in the face of Europeans’ hesitance in complying with their commitments, the AEOI spokesman said the Europeans “either do not want to do something, or they just don’t have the ability to do it.”
On May 8, exactly a year after the US pulled out from the JCPOA, Iran revealed countermeasures to US’ withdrawal, giving the other remaining parties to the JCPOA 60 days to comply with their commitments, particularly those regarding Iran’s economic interests in the banking and energy sectors, before reducing portions of its own commitments to the agreement stage by stage.
Iran says its decision to reduce commitments to the JCPOA, given the current status of the deal, is within its rights under the agreement, and any time the other sides to the agreement begin meeting the country's demands, the Islamic Republic will resume its suspended commitments.
About Iran's decision to increase the percentage of uranium enrichment more than the 3.67% envisioned in the JCPOA, Kamalvandi said "there are two scenarios. One is to increase the enrichment up to 5% for the use in Bushehr power plants, or to increase it up to 20% for Tehran reactor."
If we do not find a market within 2.5 months, our stockpile of heavy water could climb to 130 metric tons, he added.
"This is an important test for Europe...it will be a detriment to them to let the US make their decisions for them," Kamalvandi said.
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