Contradicts efforts to revive the nuclear deal
European powers warn Iran of the "danger" of uranium enrichment
A view of the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, 250 kilometers south of Tehran.
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The European countries that signed the nuclear agreement with Iran informed Tehran yesterday that its decision to enrich uranium to a purity of up to 60%, which is close to the level of 90% required to build a nuclear bomb, contradicts the efforts aimed at reviving the agreement signed in 2015.
But the European powers, Germany, France and Britain, said that they rejected "all escalation measures from any party," apparently referring to Iran's archenemy Israel, which Tehran accuses of being responsible for an explosion at one of its main nuclear sites.
Israel has not officially commented on the incident at the Iranian facility, Natanz, which appeared to be the latest development in a long-running secret war.
Last week, Iran and the parties to the nuclear deal held talks that the participants described as "constructive" to revive the agreement from which the administration of former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, saying its provisions were in the interest of Tehran.
Israel welcomed the American move.
But Britain, France and Germany said that Tehran's decision regarding enriching uranium to 60% and operating a thousand additional advanced centrifuges in the Natanz reactor was not based on reliable civilian reasons and constituted an important step towards the production of a nuclear weapon.
In a statement, the three countries said, "Iran's declarations are regrettable, especially as they come at a time when all the countries participating in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear agreement) and the United States have begun substantive discussions with the aim of finding a speedy diplomatic solution to revive the nuclear deal and re-implement it."
"The recent serious Iranian steps run counter to the constructive spirit and goodwill of these discussions," she said, referring to the talks that are due to resume between Iran and world powers in Vienna on Thursday with the aim of salvaging the agreement.
The administration of US President John Biden described Iran's announcement as "provocative" and said that Washington was concerned.
The deal collapsed as Iran violated its restrictions on uranium enrichment, which came in response to Trump's reimposition of tough sanctions on Tehran.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the decision to raise the level of enrichment comes in response to the sabotage that took place last Sunday, adding that Tehran does not intend to manufacture a nuclear weapon.
"Of course, security and intelligence officials must submit the final reports, but it is clear that it is a crime for the Zionists, and if the Zionists move against our nation, we will respond to them," Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting broadcast on television.
In an apparent reference to the incident and Iran's response, the European statement said, "In light of recent developments, we reject all escalation measures by any party, and we urge Iran not to complicate the diplomatic process."
Biden had pledged upon taking office in January to return to the nuclear deal if Iran returned to full compliance with the terms of the agreement.
However, these efforts coincided with the escalation of tension between Iran and Israel, in the midst of a series of reports that Israeli and Iranian ships had been attacked since late February.
Each side accused the other of responsibility for targeting its ships.
For its part, Saudi Arabia said it believed that any revival of the nuclear deal should be a starting point for further talks involving countries in the region to expand its scope.
The director of the Policy Planning Department at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Raed Qarmali, said that the agreement that does not effectively address the concerns of the countries of the region will not be successful.
"We would like to at least make sure that any financial resources that the nuclear deal provides to Iran are not used to destabilize the region," he added.
"We will do everything in our power to ensure that any nuclear agreement is the starting point, not the end point in this process," he said.
Earlier yesterday, Saudi Arabia expressed its concern about Iran's intention to begin enriching uranium with a purity of 60%, and said that such a step could not be considered part of a peaceful nuclear program.
A statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, published by official media, called on Iran to "avoid escalation and not to expose the security of the region to further tension" and to participate seriously in the current talks with world powers regarding the 2015 nuclear deal.
"The international community must reach an agreement with Iran with stronger and longer determinants," the statement said.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said that any agreement must "take into account the deep concern of the countries of the region about the escalatory steps that Iran is taking to destabilize regional security and stability, including its nuclear program."
The agreement, which Iran signed with the Six Powers, places a 3.67% limit on the degree of purity of uranium that Iran can reach, which is less than 20% it reached before the agreement and far below the weapons industry's level of 90%.
Bahrain is looking into the implications of the Iranian Natanz facility accident
The Head of Public Security and Chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Response in the Kingdom of Bahrain Lieutenant-General Tariq bin Hassan Al-Hassan chaired yesterday an emergency meeting of the committee, through visual communication technology, with the participation of representatives of ministries and relevant authorities.
The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) stated yesterday that, during the meeting, the latest developments that may affect public safety and potential threats were followed up, and the general preparedness was ensured, according to the national plan to confront disasters.
She indicated that the committee studied the repercussions of the accident at the Iranian nuclear facility, Natanz, and its effects on the region, as well as the national, regional and international efforts to follow up the accident and monitor its repercussions.
According to the agency, it was decided to form a working group emanating from the concerned authorities in the committee to follow up the completion of plans, review prevention and response measures, and work on field testing them through joint exercises.
Iran had blamed Israel for the electronic "terrorist attack" on the Natanz nuclear facility.
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