Iran takes further step away from nuclear commitments as deal unravels

Iran said on Friday it had taken a step to further downgrade its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal with the world’s most powerful nations, according to Iranian media.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

06 September, 2019

Rouhani made good on a promise to take another step away from the deal [Getty]

Iran has taken a further step away from its 2015 nuclear deal commitments, Tehran said on Friday, a move that comes in response to the US re-imposing sanctions on the Islamic republic.

"Foreign Minister (Mohammad Javad) Zarif, in a letter to EU (European Union) policy chief (Federica Mogherini) announced that Iran has lifted all limitations on its (nuclear) Research and Development (R&D) activities," Iran's Students News Agency ISNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying.

Iran is set to detail its latest cut to commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal on Saturday, in response to US sanctions and perceived inaction by other parties to save the accord.

Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi will hold a news conference on Tehran's third round of cuts in its nuclear commitments since May, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Thursday.

Iran and three European countries - Britain, France and Germany - have been engaged in talks to reduce tensions and rescue the multi-party deal, which has been unravelling since the US withdrew in May last year.

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But with no apparent agreement in sight, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday made good on a promise to take another step away from the deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council powers, plus Germany (P5+1).

"The atomic energy organisation (of Iran) is ordered to immediately start whatever is needed in the field of research and development, and abandon all the commitments that were in place regarding research and development," said Rouhani, without elaborating.

Iran's arch-enemy Israel responded by calling for more international pressure on the Islamic republic.

"This is not the time to hold talks with Iran; this is the time to increase the pressure on Iran," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The EU on Thursday urged Iran to backtrack on moves to drop its commitments under the deal, known as the JCPOA.

"These activities we consider are inconsistent with the JCPOA," said European Commission spokesman Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela.

"We urge Iran to reverse these steps and refrain from further measures that undermine the nuclear deal."

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