France, Germany And Britain Condemn Iran's Decision To Process Uranium

Illustration of a nuclear area (Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - France, Germany and Britain have blamed Iran's decision to return to producing and processing uranium. The trio said Iran had violated the commitments made by Tehran to the international community.

The UN nuclear watchdog said this week that Iran was following through on its plans to make uranium metal, which Tehran said would be used to make fuel for research reactors but could also be used in nuclear weapons.

The move is Iran's latest violation of a 2015 nuclear deal with major world powers. Tehran initiated a gradual violation of the pact, also known by the acronym JCPoA, after the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Have our E3 partners ever read para 36 of JCPOA & Iran's many letters on that basis? By what logic is the onus on IRAN to stop its remedial measures undertaken a full year after the US withdrew from — and continues to violate — the JCPOA? What have E3 done to fulfill their duties?

- Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 12, 2021

"We strongly urge Iran to stop these activities without delay and not to take new steps that are not compliant with its nuclear program. In increasing its non-compliance, Iran is spoiling the opportunity for new diplomacy to fully realize the aims of the JCPOA," said the three European countries, also referred to as E3. .

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected E3's statement, saying Iran's position in violating the pact was in line with paragraph 36 of the agreement which stipulates actions one party can take if it believes the other is not fulfilling its obligations.

"Have our E3 partners ever read paragraph 36 of the JCPOA & Iran's many letters on that basis ?," Zarif said on Twitter.

"By what logic is IRAN's responsibility to stop remedial measures being carried out a full year after the US withdrew from and continues to violate the JCPOA? What has E3 done to fulfill their duties ?," he said.