“Because they have not achieved results”: Iran announces the third stage of reduction of nuclear deal obligations

Iran will begin the third stage of reducing its nuclear deal obligations from September 6. This was stated by the President of the Islamic Republic Hassan Rouhani.

“Since we have not achieved the desired results, we will take the third step the day after tomorrow,” he said on Wednesday, September 4.

Rouhani emphasized that the activities under the third phase will be peaceful, and cooperation with the IAEA will continue. However, other members of the nuclear deal must return to the agreement within two months.

“In any case, we give two more months to the 4 + 1 countries (Russia, China, France, Great Britain and Germany. - RT ). If we can reach an agreement, then we may return to the conditions of the JCPOA, ”Rouhani emphasized.

Tehran was forced to take this step due to non-compliance by European states with the terms of the deal, said Irina Fedorova, senior researcher at the Center for the Study of the Near and Middle East at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“It provoked that the proposals that the countries of Europe made did not satisfy Iran, because they did not solve a single problem related to the lifting of financial and economic sanctions, first of all, sanctions regarding the sale of oil. Since this decision has not been made, there should be, as Iran promised, the next step, ”she said.

First two stages

Recall, Iran is reducing its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - an agreement concluded between the Islamic Republic on the one hand and Russia, the USA, China, France, Great Britain and Germany on the other.

According to the document, Iran refuses the nuclear program, and sanctions are loosened against it. However, in May 2018, the United States announced that the Islamic Republic allegedly continues to develop in the nuclear field. Despite the fact that the IAEA recorded Tehran’s compliance with the deal, Washington announced its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and increased sanctions against the Middle East. This decision was condemned by the other parties to the agreement.

On the anniversary of this decision, on May 8 this year, Iran embarked on the first phase of reducing its obligations regarding enriched uranium and heavy water reserves. In July, the country proceeded to the second stage, increasing uranium enrichment. On September 2, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization representative Behruz Kamalvandi said Tehran could begin producing uranium enriched by 20% within two days.

“If Iran makes such a decision, they will be able to resume production of up to 20% enriched nuclear fuel in one to two days,” he said.

It should be noted that Iran noted a readiness to return to compliance with the JCPOA if the other parties are also faithful to their obligations.

The role of Europe in the JCPOA

Tehran has repeatedly emphasized that it is forced to take such steps in connection with the violation of the JCPOA by other participants - in connection with American sanctions, European states have practically stopped economic relations with Iran.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom have developed the INSTEX settlement system, which should allow circumventing US sanctions. The first contracts even passed through it. However, it was never used to buy Iranian oil - the main export product of the Islamic republic. In this regard, Tehran stated that European states are not fulfilling their obligations.

To preserve the JCPOA, it is necessary that European countries move towards real compliance with the nuclear deal, said Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies.

“When you are offered words instead of obligations, that’s wrong. No one will listen to words when there is no action behind them. I think that Europeans, if they want to achieve something in relations with Iran, should understand that trade with Iran is not an optional thing, but a must, ”he told RT.

Washington pressure

At the same time, the United States continues to increase sanctions pressure on Iran. So, on Wednesday, September 4, the US Ministry of Finance announced the expansion of restrictions - the sanctions list included more than 20 people and companies, as well as several tankers. Among them were citizens and organizations of third countries - India, the UAE, Singapore, Syria and others.

“Iran continues to take provocative actions aimed at destabilizing the region and the world as a whole. The Finance Ministry’s actions against this vast energy network make it clear that those who buy Iranian oil directly support the Iranian military and terrorist forces, Al-Quds forces, said Stephen Mnuchin, head of the US Treasury.

Al-Quds is a special forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, which the United States identified as a "terrorist organization."

Washington sees pressure on Tehran as a way to create the conditions for negotiations. This was stated by US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. According to him, the tightening of sanctions, "as history shows, leads to the fact that Iran is returning to negotiations."

“We introduced sanctions today. More sanctions will be imposed soon. We don’t know how to explain it even more clearly that we are committed to this campaign to exert maximum pressure and we are not trying to provide any exceptions, ”Hook emphasized.

At the same time, according to the diplomat, US President Donald Trump "wants to agree on a new and better deal." Note that Iran allowed the possibility of negotiations with the United States, but subject to the lifting of sanctions. Trump said this is unacceptable.

“They say that (they will not start negotiations. - RT ) until we go on a number of things, such as lifting the sanctions, but this will not happen. They didn’t say in the way you formulated it, but the ultimate goal is the same - it won’t happen, ”said the US President.

The current situation threatens the global system of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, said Fedorova.

“This is alarming, because if the development of events proceeds in this way, the escalation of tension between Iran and the West, then in the end the JCPOA will not only be in jeopardy, but will not be feasible. And this can lead, in turn, to the fact that the non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons will also be in jeopardy, which is very dangerous, ”she emphasized.

At the same time, the pressure exerted by Washington could potentially lead to armed conflict, Bruter admitted.

“The United States itself came out of the deal, they say that Iran could receive atomic weapons as part of this deal, but no one confirms this, except for themselves. It’s impossible for them to return to it, they run the risk of increasing pressure to a level that could provoke some kind of armed conflict, ”the expert said.