Iran Poised to Take 4th Step in Reducing Nuclear Commitments: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi deplored the continued failure of Europe to meet its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal and said the Islamic Republic is ready to take the 4th step to reduce its commitments to the agreement.
Speaking in the northern province of Semnan on Thursday, Vaezi pointed to Europe’s inaction on its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and said, “If Europe does not fulfill its commitments, Iran will take the 4th step in due time.”
He further announced the formation of a committee in this regard and said it would monitor the third step and its effects.
The official went on to say that the committee will also examine how the fourth step should be taken depending on the circumstances.
Earlier this month, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iran will continue to scale back the JCPOA commitments until it gets the desirable results.
“Reduction of the nuclear commitments, which is a responsibility of the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran), must continue with full seriousness and in a precise and comprehensive manner, as announced by the administration, until it achieves the appropriate result, and it will definitely yield results,” the Leader said on October 2.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA.
Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the JCPOA after the US withdrawal, but the three EU parties to the deal (France, Britain, and Germany) have failed to ensure Iran’s economic interests.
The EU’s inaction forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments to the nuclear deal, including a rise in the stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran maintains that the new measures are not designed to harm the JCPOA but to save the accord by creating a balance in the commitments.
