Latest July 7 deadline announced by the Iranian president, threatens uranium enrichment and heavy water increases; Rouhani: If remaining signatories of nuclear deal do not fulfill promises… Arak nuclear reactor will return to its previous activities; EU “extremely concerned.”
Iran again issued the remaining signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, nuclear dear) another deadline to find a solution to its economic crisis. With no resolution, Iran will continue to increase its enriched uranium and heavy water reactors in any “amount that we want.”
The latest deadline, set for this Sunday, July 7, was announced by its president, Hassan Rouhani, from Tehran on Wednesday morning. He was quoted having stated, “We will increase uranium enrichment beyond 3.67% after July 7. If remaining signatories of the nuclear deal do not fulfill [its] promises, then after July 7, the Arak nuclear reactor will return to its previous activities.” He threatened further that the Islamic Republic would increase its production in “any amount that we want, any amount that is required…”
Rouhani also recommended both EU states and the United States “adopt a rational approach again to return to the negotiating table, to return to mutual understanding, respecting the law and complying with decisions of the UN Security Council, in order to act within the JCPOA in these conditions…”
The European Union and nuclear deal partners have yet to condemn or take any action on Iran, despite calls from the United States and Israel to honor its commitment to sanctions if the deal was violated. The European Union did release a statement expressing its concern over Iran’s actions. It reads, “The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, the UK, and the High Representative are extremely concerned at Iran’s announcement that it has exceeded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action stockpile limit for low enriched uranium. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed this information.”
It added, “We have been consistent and clear that our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran. We regret this decision by Iran, which calls into question an essential instrument of nuclear non-proliferation.”
