Iran's resuming of uranium enrichment will be followed by similar steps every two months unless European states do more to save the country’s nuclear deal with international powers, Iran's Ambassador to the UK add as quoted by The Independent.
The ambassador spoke amid rising tension with Tehran claiming that an International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) inspector stopped from entering a facility at Natanz was “tested positive for explosive nitrates” and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of positioning itself for a “rapid nuclear breakout.”
Tehran has said Britain, France, and Germany -- who have remained in the nuclear deal along with Russia and China after the US pulled out -- are failing to establish an adequate financial structure to enable companies to trade with Iran in face of American sanctions.
Iran, said Baeidinejad, has been fulfilling its obligation under JCPOA since Washington reneged on it and brought in punitive sanctions, and was now taking form steps as a “wake-up call” to the other signatories.
The decision to inject uranium gas into centrifuges in the underground Fordaw facility was the fourth move Iran has made as part of this policy.
“We cannot continue to fulfill one-sidedly so we have taken these decisions. If the other does not take the warning seriously, maybe through the use of Instex we shall be in a very difficult situation, all of us. But we hope with these steps we are conveying a strong, real and serious message to implement the nuclear deal” Baeidinejad said.
Instex is the payment channel set up by JCPOA signatories UK, Germany, and France to help continue trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions.
“We gave ample time to our partners and then we adopted this policy. In two months we will absolutely take the fifth step after analyzing the situation. Like the other steps, it will be very calculated and measured. So the ball is in their court, we hope to resolve the situation.”
“These steps will be every two months, this has been decided at the highest level. I understand the concern that after more of these steps we run out of initiatives and have steps that are not easily reversible and this will affect the implementation of the JCPOA, that is why we are asking our partners to fulfill their obligations and resolve this issue and protect the JCPOA.”
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that while Iran has taken the next step to further reduce its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the door to negotiations to salvage the deal is still open.
“We have taken the fourth JCPOA step. We had made it clear that if the measures of other parties do not yield results, we would take the next steps to scale back our commitments under the deal," Zarif said on Friday upon arrival in Turkey to attend the 24th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
"We started talks from the first day and did not say no to the talks," he added, stressing that Tehran will hold talks with the parties willing to help preserve the pact.
"We will hold talks with those parties interested in preserving the JCPOA; the French will continue their consultations on the issue, and we will leave the door open for negotiation and understanding," Zarif noted.
MNA/PR
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