Iran to Increase Level of Uranium Enrichment in Days: Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that their failure to take “practical measures” to ensure Iran’s interests until July 7 will force Tehran to enrich uranium at any level it would want, above a 3.67 percent purity.
Addressing a cabinet session on Wednesday, President Rouhani made it clear that Tehran will take the next step in reducing its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if the remaining parties to the nuclear deal fail to take practical measures to guarantee Iran’s interests.
“On July 7, the level of (uranium) enrichment in Iran will not be 3.67 percent anymore, as we will abandon such commitment and increase it (enrichment) to any amount that we require and need,” he underlined.
The president also slammed the “theatrical move” by the European parties to create a useless payment channel for trade with Iran, saying INSTEX has turned into a “hollow” channel without any money.
However, he added, if the INSTEX becomes operational and supplies Iran with petrodollars, it will be to some extent acceptable despite its shortcomings.
The president also warned the JCPOA parties that their failure to honor commitments until July 7 will return the Arak heavy water reactor to the previous conditions.
He also emphasized that Iran’s measures are not designed to harm the JCPOA, but to save the accord, adding, “We believe that if we don’t take any measure, the JCPOA will die.”
President Rouhani underlined that Iran could reverse its decisions if the other parties fulfill their commitments.
Even if a large amount of enriched uranium is produced in Iran, the country will be able to sell it to the other countries, like Russia, in exchange for yellow cake in a short time span, the president added.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany) on July 14, 2015, reached a conclusion over the text of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation was hampered by the US policies and its eventual withdrawal from the deal.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the nuclear accord.
Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
However, the EU’s failure of ensure Iran’s economic interests forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments under JCPOA in May 2019.
Iran has also set a 60-day deadline for the remaining JCPOA parties to fulfill their undertakings.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the country’s enriched uranium stockpile has passed the 300-kilogram limit.
“The first phase is underway, which includes both the (enriched) uranium and heavy water stockpiles, and the next phase have been announced and will be implemented,” Zarif has said.