Iran’s 20% uranium enrichment not violating int’l commitments: Russian official

Tehran, IRNA – The chairman of the Russian Friendship Society with Arab Countries said on Tuesday that Iran's enriching uranium to 20% does not violate the country’s international commitments.

Vyacheslav Matuzovm told IRNA that Iran’s move is not a violation of international commitments; it is in the framework of the nuclear deal.

Iran announced on Monday that it would increase its uranium enrichment to 20% as a part of reducing its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in reaction to other parties’ lack of commitment.

Iran has repeatedly announced that the measures the country takes are all reversible and as soon as the other parties of the nuclear deal return to their commitments, Iran will stop the reduction of its commitments and reverse the steps. 

Matuzovm said that it is stipulated in the JCPOA that when Iran sees that the other signatories of the deal are not loyal to their commitments, the country can reduce commitments according to its national interests.

The other signatories of the JCPOA can expect Iran to behave in the framework of the nuclear deal and the UNSCR 2231 if they themselves do so, he said.

He added that since the US withdrew from the deal in 2018, Europeans have more talked than taking  actions, but Russia and China have tried to safeguard the UNSC-endorsed deal.

He said that lame duck President Donald Trump tarnished the US fame and reduced it to an untrustworthy negotiator and player and that if president-elect Joe Biden wants to restore US reputation he first needs to return to the deal.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif wrote in a Twitter message that as the Parliament legislated, Iran resumed 20-percent enrichment of uranium.

"We resumed 20% enrichment, as legislated by our Parliament. IAEA has been duly notified," Zarif tweeted.

"Our remedial action conforms fully with Para 36 of JCPOA, after years of non-compliance by several other JCPOA participants."

He also said, “Our measures are fully reversible upon FULL compliance by ALL.”

Regarding concern expressed by some Western countries, Matuzovm said that 20% enrichment can by no means provide the conditions for making an atomic bomb, adding that such worries are baseless and are just for reaching political goals.

He added that all Iran’s nuclear activities are under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and there is no room for worry and that the 20% enrichment cannot be dangerous for the region and Iran’s neighbors.

The most important point here is that Tehran has repeatedly said that the steps are all reversible, he added.