The Iranian president has announced his decision to violate another part of the 2015 nuclear deal by potentially enriching uranium at a new site. During his speech, he said it was an "honor" to resist the US.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said his country would begin injecting uranium gas into more than 1,000 centrifuges, marking another break with its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal(JCPOA).
Rouhani said he would instruct Iran's nuclear authority to begin injecting uranium gas into the centrifuges as of Wednesday.
"As of tomorrow, we will begin feeding gas into centrifuges at Fordo nuclear facility," Rouhani said during a press conference at an innovation factory. "Resistance is our honor."
The president noted that the latest violations of the deal could be reversed at any time.
"When other parties begin fully implementing their commitments, we will turn back and begin fully abiding by our commitments," Rouhani said. "We know their sensitivity with regard to Fordo."
Under the nuclear deal, the Fordo centrifuges were allowed to spin without uranium gas. A centrifuge enriches uranium by spinning uranium hexafluoride gas to separate uranium isotope U-235 for nuclear fission.
Last year, the US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, casting doubt over other signatories' ability to maintain the accord. The agreement established a framework under which Iran would curb its nuclear program in exchange for Western countries dropping paralyzing sanctions.
EU member states, including Germany and France, have called on Iran to stick to the deal despite the US withdrawal. But Tehran has continued to steadily erode the deal by taking incremental steps towards violating its commitments.
Germany has urged the Islamic republic to adhere to its commitments, with officials calling the latest set of violations a mistake. "They announced in early September that they would not comply with the nuclear accord and we think that is unacceptable," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
EU concern
The European Commission reacted with dismay over Iran's latest move saying it puts the agreement at risk.
"We are concerned by President (Hassan) Rouhani's announcement today to further reduce Iran's commitment under the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," a spokeswoman said, referring to the formal title of the deal.
"We urge Iran to reverse all activities that are inconsistent with its commitments under the JCPOA ... it is increasingly difficult to preserve the JCPOA."
France: Iran's actions further erode accord
France said it remains committed to the JCPOA but wants Tehran to reverse its latest decision.
"The announcement by Iran on November 5 to increase its enrichment capacity goes against the Vienna agreement, which strictly limits activities in this area," foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Mühll told reporters. "We are waiting with our partners for the next IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reports on Iran's announcements and actions."
Echoing the European Commission's sentiments she urged Iran to "fully adhere to its obligations and to cooperate fully with the IAEA, both in JCPOA and its other nuclear obligations."
Iran nuclear deal — treaty under threat
A year after Donald Trump pulled the US from the international nuclear accord with Iran, the Middle East nation announced it would no longer adhere to some "voluntary commitments" in the accord.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/D. Calma
The deal breaker
President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that he was pulling the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing that the international accord was not in America's "national interest." The decision threw a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the nuclear accord and raised tensions with US allies in Europe.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Slap in the face
Britain, France and Germany lobbied the Trump administration and Congress to remain in the nuclear accord, arguing that the deal was working and a US violation without a follow up plan would be destabilizing. In European capitals, the Trump administration's withdrawal was viewed as a slap in the face of allies.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Iran scrap 'voluntary commitments'
A year to the day after Trump's announcement, Iran informed the other signatories of the accord that they would no longer adhere to certain "voluntary commitments." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the signatory nations had 60 days to implement promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors or Iran would resume the enrichment of uranium.
The decision came after the United States deployed an aircraft, the USS Lincoln, along with a bomber task force to the Middle East. Washington said the deployment was intended as a "clear unmistakable message." Iran said it took action because the European Union and others "did not have the power to resist US pressure."
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A triumph of diplomacy
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 by United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain (P5+1) and Iran following years of negotiations. Under the international agreement, Iran agreed to dismantle its nuclear program and be subject to monitoring in exchange for the lifting of international nuclear related sanctions.
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Compliance and verification
The JCPOA includes a robust monitoring, verification and inspection regime carried out by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN watch dog has verified Iran's compliance with the deal in 12 quarterly reports. The JCPOA allows Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program for commercial, medical and industrial purposes in line with international non-proliferation standards.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Schlager
Obama's achievement
The Iran nuclear deal was President Barack Obama's signature foreign policy achievement. Seeking to undo nearly every Obama administration legacy, Trump came into office calling it the "worst deal ever." The Trump administration argues the nuclear deal doesn't address other unrelated issues such as Iran's ballistic missiles, regional influence, support for "terrorist" groups and human rights.
Image: Reuters/Y. Gripas
Iranians approved
The nuclear deal and lifting of punishing nuclear related international sanctions created optimism in Iran after years of economic isolation. However, even before Trump pulled the US out of the deal, Tehran blamed the US for holding back international investment and not fulfilling its end of the bargain due to the uncertainty created by Trump's threats.
Image: picture alliance/AA/F. Bahrami
The opponents
After eight years with Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found the US president he wanted in Donald Trump. The Israeli leader repeatedly slammed the deal despite his own military and intelligence chiefs' assessment the that JCPOA, while not perfect, was working and should be maintained. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the other main opponents of the nuclear deal.
Image: Reuters/R. Zvulun
Who's left?
The EU-3 (Britain, France, Germany) have scrambled to ensure that Iran receives the economic benefits it was promised in order to avoid Tehran pulling out of the deal. As EU businesses face retaliation from the US for doing business with Iran, many are opting to avoid Iran. This would likely be a present to Chinese and Russian businesses.
