Iranian MPs Voice Support for AEOI Moves to Counteract US Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s lawmakers, in a statement on Sunday, voiced their support for recent decisions by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to counteract the latest sanctions imposed by the US administration against the Islamic Republic.
Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a member of the presiding board of the parliament, read out the statement at an open session on Sunday.
“We, the MPs, support recent measures taken by the AEOI to implement the Supreme National Security Council’s resolutions on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) through reducing its nuclear commitments…,” the statement read.
AEOI Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi announced on Monday that the country has quadrupled the low-level uranium enrichment.
Quoting the director of Natanz uranium enrichment facility, Kamalvandi told reporters at the facility that given the recent decision made by the SNSC, Iran has increased the production of 3.67 enriched uranium by fourfold from Monday.
The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) issued a statement on May 8, saying Iran is no longer fulfilling some of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal, and setting a two-month deadline for the remaining parties to fulfill their undertakings.
“At the current stage, we are not committed to complying with restrictions on the keeping enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies,” the SNSC stated.
The statement came a few days after the US administration renewed five of seven sanctions waivers that allow Russia and European nations to conduct civilian nuclear cooperation with Iran but revoked the other two as part of its pressure campaign against Tehran.
Washington also stopped issuing waivers to buy Iranian crude oil on May 2.
Before the US moves, Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, had warned against their consequences.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA.
Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
The European Union has vowed to counter Trump’s renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures, but it has so far failed to do anything beyond making statements.