Iran renews threat of uranium enrichment
No details yet from Tehran delegation’s talks in Paris on French initiative to help Islamic republic export oil
Iran will this week enrich its uranium beyond the limits agreed in the nuclear deal with world powers unless cosignatories deliver the promised economic benefits, president Hassan Rouhani warned on Tuesday.
In the deal brokered in 2015, the Islamic republic agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions, particularly on the export of oil. But ever since President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear accord last year, the reimposition of US sanctions has hit the Islamic republic hard.
The other signatories — Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — have said they remained committed to the landmark agreement.
“We will reconsider our decision to decrease our commitments [to the nuclear deal], if 4+1 [ world powers excluding the US] will meet part of their commitments,” Mr Rouhani said in the Iranian parliament. Already this year, the Iranians have taken two retaliatory steps enriching uranium beyond the agreed purity level of 3.67 per cent.
“But if they fail to take a significant step, we will definitely go into the third phase in the coming days. It could further complicate the problem . . . but we will continue our negotiations even after the next step is taken,” he said.
His comments come after an Iranian delegation visited Paris on Monday to discuss an initiative by French president Emmanuel Macron to help Iran export oil. No details have yet emerged on the meetings in Paris or on US reaction to the initiative.
In May, Iran said that it would start violating the limits set on its nuclear programme every two months in protest at the other signatories’ failure to help Iran export oil — the country’s lifeline. It has previously said that these measures would be reversed once it was able to export crude oil.
Mr Rouhani said Iran would continue “domestic resistance” against the US pressure while it continues talks with European states, Russia and China. He said no bilateral negotiations could happen with the US unless it lifted all sanctions and joined multilateral talks. “When we talk about negotiations, it means all sanctions should be lifted [first]. Our stance is clear,” he added. “Our strategy is based on two principles of domestic resistance and active diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s hardline forces have urged the government to increase its uranium enrichment activities. Kayhan daily newspaper, a mouthpiece for hardliners, urged Mr Rouhani on Tuesday “to decisively take the next step” by Friday and “then start bargaining with Europe”.