TEHRAN (Reuters) - Tehran is ready to take a "stronger step" in reducing its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal if European countries do not act to save the deal, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Tuesday. To reconsider the Iranian nuclear deal, he ruled out reopening what he called the Pandora's Fund.
In detail, Iran hinted to go beyond the limits of the agreement one by one, stepping up pressure on countries that still have hopes of saving it.
Tehran has threatened to take other steps by September 6, such as uranium enrichment to a purity of 20%, or resume the operation of centrifuges enriching uranium.
"Iran is ready to reduce its commitments if the European parties show insufficient resolve ... The third step has been arranged and will be stronger than the first and second steps to create a balance between Iran's rights and its obligations under the JCPOA," the official IRNA news agency quoted Abbas Mousavi as saying. , Referring to the official title of the nuclear agreement.
Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Abbas Araghchi, is heading to Paris for talks with French officials on the deal.
For his part, Zarif denied yesterday that there is an opportunity to reconsider the nuclear agreement, ruling out the reopening of what he called «Pandora Fund».
"It is not a review of the JCPOA, and as you know we have been involved in the negotiations from the beginning, it is impossible to open and close the Pandora's fund again," Zarif was quoted as saying by Sputnik.
Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a meeting with students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (Magimo): «Certainly, the situation is worrying. The agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for the Settlement of Iran's Nuclear Program, which came into force in 2015, has been described by all members of the international community, without exception, as a remarkable achievement of international diplomacy in recent decades, not just in terms of ensuring a calming situation on Iran. In the Gulf region, but also in terms of its importance in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime. ”
He praised French President Emmanuel Macron's "useful" efforts to try to persuade Washington to ease sanctions on Iran and save the nuclear deal, which has been under threat since the United States withdrew in 2018.
Lavrov said during a press conference with his counterpart Zarif in Moscow, that Russia supports «the position of the French president, so that it aims to maintain the agreement in full, without additions or exceptions».
Lavrov said he regretted the "destructive actions" of the United States, which unilaterally withdrew last year from this agreement between Iran and major powers in Vienna in 2015 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
On the other hand, Lavrov and Zarif discussed yesterday in Moscow the situation in Syria, and condemned the recent US strike against jihadist leaders in the Idlib region, where cautious calm has prevailed since the unilateral ceasefire was declared by the Syrian army and its Russian ally.
Zarif said he regretted that the strike had created "a new and unstable situation" in the region.
In Tehran, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rubaie said yesterday that there is convergence in the views of Iran and France, especially after telephone calls between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
"Fortunately, there have been convergence of views on many issues, and now technical talks are under way on how to implement the European commitments (stipulated in the agreement)," Rubaie said. He did not elaborate.
But he warned: "If Iran is not satisfied with the (Europe) implementation of the commitments on time, we will take a strong step to reduce our commitments."
"President (Rouhani) still holds the same position that it is in the national interest, and if he is sure that meeting someone will help our people, he will not refuse it," the official IRNA news agency quoted Rubaie as saying.
"In my opinion, the goal of the US president (Donald Trump) to meet the president of Iran is different from ours. "The president's goal is internal, while we aim to restore our neglected right."
"There is no reason for the president to meet an agitator who is practicing economic intimidation in the current situation," he warned.
But his government spokesman hinted yesterday that such a meeting could take place if it was in Iran's interest.
Iran wants to export at least 700,000 barrels of oil a day and the ideal situation would be for it to export up to 1.5 million barrels a day if the West wants to negotiate with it to save the deal, two Iranian officials and a diplomat told Reuters on Aug. 25. "Iranian oil should be bought and its revenue should be allowed in," Rubaie said. Iran's oil exports have fallen because of US sanctions, which also make it difficult for the country to collect payments through banks.
In turn, a conservative Iranian lawmaker said that Macron proposed to provide credit facilities worth $ 15 billion on the condition that Tehran returned to abide by the agreement.
"Macron proposed that Iran stop the third step at this time for this amount, and perhaps retreat from its first and second steps, to return the situation to what it was," Tasnim quoted Ali Motahari as saying late on Sunday.
This comes at a time when data tracking the movement of ships showed that the Iranian oil tanker «Adrian Daria 1», formerly known as «Grace 1», is now off the coast of Tripoli in northern Lebanon.
The Adrian Darya 1 is slowly moving off the Lebanese territorial waters after it stopped off the Syrian coast the day before, the Maritime Traffic.com website said.