Comment by the Information and Press Department on yet another series of US verbal attacks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for Iran’s nuclear programme
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “the United States will terminate sanctions waiver related to the nuclear facility at Fordow effective December 15, 2019." One of the key JCPOA elements, Fordow was supposed to be converted into a facility for producing stable isotopes.
Decisions like this are further examples of the flagrant violation of international commitments by the United States and its irresponsible attitude towards signed commitments and UN Security Council resolutions. The United States has no scruples about openly violating these commitments and even tries to impede implementation by other countries. This arrogant behaviour by one of the largest states, which claims world leadership, deserves resolute condemnation. We expect the UN Secretary-General to give an unbiased evaluation of this action in his December report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
It is hard to understand what hypothetical gain Washington will derive from undermining the JCPOA and from the failure to convert the Fordow facility in accordance with the 2015 agreements. It is sad to realise that it was the United States that meticulously calculated the parameters of the cascades at the Fordow facility and then later was the first to break the deal for no reason.
US attempts to justify its inability to negotiate by blaming Tehran, should not mislead anyone. Iran’s decisions to suspend its voluntary commitments under the JCPOA, including the resumption of enrichment work at Fordow, are a response to the US’s thoughtless political campaign against the nuclear deal.
Iran follows its suspension activities under permanent IAEA supervision. Technically, they are all reversible. Moreover, according to the IAEA, suspension did not affect the cascades at Fordow that are subject to configuration. So Washington should be blamed first for the demise of the Fordow project.
It is clear how much the United States wants Iran to give up its nuclear programme altogether. The words of the Secretary of State that the right amount of uranium enrichment for Iran is zero speak for themselves. Apparently, it is worth recalling that Iran’s right to develop its civilian nuclear industry is recorded in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The United States is also a signatory of the NPT. As for the right to enrich uranium, the NPT does not restrict this in any way. All that is necessary is proper monitoring of compliance with this treaty by the IAEA. This is exactly what Tehran is doing.
Russian experts are taking an active part in implementing the project on converting the Fordow facility. We cooperate closely with Iran in this respect, in part, to create the proper conditions and a safe environment for the continuation of the work.
The JCPOA Joint Commission should issue a meaningful response to US statements. We hope our European colleagues will have the strength to go beyond formal regrets in terms of US actions and will defend the JCPOA in cooperation with Russia and China by working to maintain the viability and sustainability of the comprehensive agreement and reliably protecting the Fordow project and other major elements of the nuclear deal against the US sanctions. We hope for support by the rest of the international community, as is required by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.