Iran Press/Iran news: Iran has officially informed the European Union that it will begin unlimited nuclear research and development work from Friday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that due to US sanctions following withdrawal from 2015 nuclear deal and the inability of the European signatures in fulfilling their obligations under the agreement, Iran has lifted all limitations on its nuclear Research and Development (R&D) activities.
Speaking after the meeting of the heads of the three branches, late on Wednesday, Iranian Presiden Hassan Rouhani announced that the third step in reducing its JCPOA commitments will begin on Friday and the Atomic Energy Organisation must do whatever the country needs for development and research in nuclear technology.
"Iran's actions will be within the framework of the IAEA, and Europe will have another 60 days. Whenever they return to their commitments, we will do the same," he noted.
According to the President's order, the atomic energy organization 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.
World's reaction
The European Union on Thursday called on Tehran to reverse its third step in scaling back its nuclear commitments.
“These activities we consider are inconsistent with the JCPOA,” European Commission spokesman Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela claimed in a media briefing in Brussels.
Britain said it was concerned and disappointed by Iran’s plan to take another step away from a 2015 nuclear deal.
“This third step away from its commitments under the nuclear deal is particularly disappointing at a time when we and our European and international partners are working hard to de-escalate tensions with Iran,” the British Foreign Office said in a statement.
Boris Johnson greets the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, outside No 10 /AFP
France's Foreign Ministry asked Iran to avoid decisions that it said would undermine the nuclear agreement.
"Iran must refrain from any concrete action that is not in line with its commitments and that may hinder de-escalation efforts," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll told reporters.
During a brief half-hour meeting with British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, in Downing Street, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for amping up the pressure on Iran and ending nuclear talks with Tehran.
Tehran's reciprocal steps in JCPOA
Iran began the countermeasures in May on the anniversary of the United States withdrawal from its historic 2015 nuclear agreement with major world powers.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the nuclear accord and threatened US sanctions against any international companies that continued to do business with Iran.
As a first step, Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile to a level above the 300 kilograms set by the JCPOA.
Iran began the countermeasures on the anniversary of the United States withdrawal from JCPOA
In the second phase, Iran’s Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor — which was agreed to be redesigned under the agreement — resumed its previous activities.
Iran also increased the level of its uranium enrichment, and will no longer stick to the 3.67% limit it had agreed upon in JCPOA.
Reversible steps, ball in Europe court
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the third phase of Iran’s nuclear countermeasures has been so devised to be reversible, as is the case with its previous nuclear responses if Europe meets its nuclear commitments towards Tehran.
“Should they act on their obligations, this step, like the two previous steps, which have already been taken, could be reversed,” Zarif said on Thursday at the airport in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, where he arrived as part of an Asian tour.
The new measures from Iran would be peaceful, watched over by the United Nations and could be reversed if European powers kept their promises, President Rouhani said. He gave the parties to the deal another two months to fully implement its terms, saying if that happened Iran would return to implementing the agreement. 101
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