Russia: Iran’s Resumption of Development Works Poses No Threat

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement released on Monday that the measure — which Iran has taken recently as a third step in reducing its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — did not risk any reorientation.

“From the nuclear non-proliferation’s point of view, the restart of Iranian centrifugal research and development works does not present any threat. The important part is that all the work is conducted by Iranian specialists under the IAEA’s constant monitoring,” it said.

“A relevant report has been presented to the agency’s board of governors. There is no risk of reorienting Iranian research to undeclared usage. Iran fully observes the Non-Proliferation Treaty, follows the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA, implements the Additional Protocol,” it added.

The JCPOA was signed between Iran and six world states — namely the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — in 2015. Washington’s exit in May 2018, however, the future of the historic deal in limbo.

Tehran remained fully compliant with the JCPOA for an entire year as confirmed by the IAEA in several reports, waiting for the co-signatories to fulfill their end of the bargain by offsetting the impacts of Washington’s bans on the Iranian economy. As the European parties failed to do so, Tehran moved in May to retaliate against Washington’s exit and began suspending its JCPOA commitments in 60-day stages under Articles 26 and 36 of the deal covering Tehran’s legal rights. 

Iran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments three times in compliance with articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA.

On Wednesday, Tehran announced its decision to further scale down its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal. The move comes just as the US ramped up sanctions against Iran and is seen as a response to the EU’s inability to counter Washington. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that the country will no more abide by restrictions put on its nuclear R&D program based on the nuclear deal as the third step to react to the Europeans' non-commitment to the JCPOA.

The Islamic Republic already increased its enriched uranium stockpile beyond the 300-kilogram cap set by the agreement, and began enriching uranium to purity rates beyond the limit of 3.67 percent.

Tensions mounted between Tehran and Washington last May, when Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, and re-imposed harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism. The American leader and his hawkish advisers National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have since been stepping up pressure against Iranians.

Source:FarsNEWS