“According to Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, in case the parties do not meet the obligations equally, one side is allowed to reduce its commitments unilaterally,” he said.
As the latest step (the fourth step) to scale back JCPOA commitments, Iran injected gas into IR6 centrifuges and resumed uranium enrichment at Fordow nuclear facility in early November.
Iran has said that it will reverse its nuclear steps as soon as the other signatories return to their commitments.
European signatories to the deal have so far failed to honor their commitments, one of which was to normalize trade ties with Iran. The EU has proposed the establishment of a financial mechanism, dubbed INSTEX, to continue trade with Iran without suffering from US sanctions, however, the mechanism is yet to be operationalized.
On December 22, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Rear Admiral Shamkhani warned that Iran would further reduce commitments to the nuclear deal if European sides fail to fulfill their commitments.
"Tehran has started different steps to reduce its peaceful nuclear commitments in order to maintain and balance its commitments under the JCPOA and if the Europeans fail to fulfill their obligations, we will take the fifth step," Shamkhani said.
On the US anniversary of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Tehran announced it would take steps back from its JCPOA obligations every 60-day unless the other signatories to the deal abide by their commitments under the accord.
He noted that after the US withdrawal, the three European parties to the deal vowed to guarantee Iran's economic interests in accordance with the JCPOA and to keep the deal alive, but they have so far failed to implement practical measures to save the agreement.
"It was the US President Donald Trump who started to reduce the JCPOA commitments by exiting the JCPOA and after that, Europe completed the US measures by ignoring its JCPOA commitments," he added.
MNA/Tasnim 2170775
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