Iran warns it may revive the nuclear program in case the EU can’t preserve the JCPOA

More than a month after the United States’ withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, the other parties have still not found any solution to keep it alive. However, as the ambiguities persist, Iran warns that it may leave a deal that won’t bring any benefits for the country.

کد خبر: ۸۰۷۹۴۹

تاریخ: ۲۳ خرداد ۱۳۹۷ - ۱۵:۰۱

Tabnak – More than a month after the United States’ withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, the other parties have still not found any solution to keep it alive. However, as the ambiguities persist, Iran warns that it may leave a deal that won’t bring any benefits for the country.

In this vein, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart made it clear that staying in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be out of the question if Tehran cannot enjoy the benefits of the nuclear deal.

“If Iran cannot benefit from the privileges of this agreement, remaining in it will not be practically possible,” Rouhani told Emmanuel Macron about the 2015 Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday.

Pointing to the time limit for offering practical solutions to save the JCPOA, the Iranian president added, “We must not let this very great achievement of diplomacy be destroyed by others’ unilateral measures and breach of commitments.”

He also expressed satisfaction with the stances adopted by Europe, particularly by France, on maintaining the nuclear deal, but emphasized that the words and statements should be accompanied by practical and tangible measures, according to the president’s official website.

For his part, Macron reiterated his country’s commitment to the JCPOA, stating that a series of measures and practical solutions would be taken to ensure Iran’s benefits from the deal.

Macron also stressed that all parties to the nuclear agreement must try to keep it and not make an even tiny mistake giving a golden opportunity to those who want to destroy the accord.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced that Iran will restart the process of enriching uranium at its Fordow nuclear site if the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is terminated.

In an interview with Young Journalists Club, Behrouz Kamalvandi said the Fordow nuclear facility will be revived in case the Iran nuclear deal falls apart, meaning that the site will restart enriching uranium at the discretion of senior officials.

As regards the planned activities at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility after any collapse of the JCPOA, the spokesman said the facility would begin manufacturing new advanced centrifuge machines with the maximum capacity.

Located in Iran’s central province of Qom, Fordow is buried deep underground to protect it against any military attacks.

In late 2011, the plant at Fordow began producing uranium enriched to 20 percent fissile purity. But after achievement of a deal with the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) in 2014, Iran has been producing lower-level uranium with an enrichment level of up to 5 percent in Fordow and Natanz.

Also last week, AEOI Chief Ali Akbar Salehi said Tehran has already developed the necessary infrastructure at the Natanz nuclear facility for enrichment of uranium up to a level of one million SWU (Separative Work Unit).

It came after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei ordered the AEOI to make preparations for the enrichment of uranium up to a level of 190,000 SWU without any delay in the framework provided by the JCPOA.