Iran's actions to produce 20% enriched uranium and build up its enrichment capacity to 60% deviate from the agreements under the nuclear deal, but are a consequence of the lack of results to restore full implementation of the existing agreements, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary issued on Tuesday.
She drew attention to statements of European participants of the nuclear deal and publications in the media in connection with the latest IAEA report, which confirms Iran's production of uranium metal with enrichment levels up to 20% and building enrichment capacities up to 60%.
"Iran's actions are yet another departure from the arrangements set forth in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for resolving the Iranian nuclear program," the diplomat said. - "We understand that to a large extent the reason for such a step was the lack of concrete practical results of efforts to restore full implementation of the nuclear deal, while unilateral US sanctions against Iran and cooperating third countries remain in force. We are concerned, however, that this distances us from our goal, and that the task of creating the conditions for sustainable implementation of comprehensive agreements continues to become more difficult.
Zakharova added that the only way out of this situation is an early resumption of the negotiation process to reanimate the JCPOA. "We call on all partners in the nuclear deal, as well as the US, to refrain from rash steps that will create additional obstacles to the normalization of the situation around the Iranian nuclear program," the comment said.
Earlier Reuters quoted the IAEA report as saying that Iran had launched a second cascade of advanced centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility to enrich uranium up to 60%.
In Vienna, Iran and the international five (Russia, Britain, Germany, China and France) have been holding face-to-face talks since April to restore the Iranian nuclear agreement to its original form: the lifting of US sanctions against Iran, Tehran's fulfillment of its nuclear obligations, the return of the US to the deal.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS