Iran Moves to Cast Off Western Restrictions

Date: 16 June 2019 - 21:54

News ID: ۶۷۰۷۲

TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran will announce further moves on Monday to scale back compliance with an international nuclear pact that the United States abandoned last year, the Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
"Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization tomorrow at the Arak heavy water site will announce preparatory steps that have been taken to further decrease Tehran’s commitments under the deal,” Tasnim said.
The organization will announce moves to increase stocks of enriched uranium and production of heavy water at Arak, it reported.
Iran stopped complying in May with some commitments in the 2015 nuclear deal that was agreed with global powers, after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and re-introduced sanctions on Tehran.
Iran said in May it would start enriching uranium at a higher level, unless world powers protected its economy from U.S. sanctions within 60 days.
On Saturday, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi stressed that Iran’s 60-day deadline would by no means be extended.
Speaking at a meeting with Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid, Araqchi said that Tehran would proceed with the next steps — i.e. enter the second phase — unless the JCPOA parties met Iran’s demands.
"Obviously, Iran cannot stick to this agreement unilaterally,” President Hassan Rouhani told Russian, Chinese and other Asian leaders at a conference in Tajikistan.
"It is necessary that all the sides of this agreement contribute to restoring it,” he said, adding that Iran needed to see "positive signals” from other signatories to the pact, which include Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
Tehran said in May that Iran would start enriching uranium at a higher level, unless world powers protected its economy from U.S. sanctions within 60 days.
Tehran has said its nuclear program is peaceful and will not be stopped, says its missile work is for defense and accuses the United States of destabilizing the region.
France and other European signatories to the nuclear deal have said they wanted to save the accord, but many of their companies have canceled deals with Tehran, under pressure from the United States.