Russia: Iran’s decision to reduce nuclear commitments ‘logical’

The Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Iran’s decision to start the fourth step to reduce its nuclear obligations under the 2015 deal is a “logical” result of the stagnation in resolving problems related to the agreement.

“We consider the new Iranian move as a logical consequence of the stagnation in resolving the known problems associated with improving the sustainability of the comprehensive plan of action and guaranteeing the economic results to implement the deal on which Tehran was dependent,” Russia’s Sputnik news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov saying.

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that his country will today begin injecting uranium into centrifuges at its underground Fordow enrichment facility.

“Starting from Wednesday, gas will be injected into centrifuges at Fordow as part of part of our fourth step to reduce our nuclear commitments to the deal,” Rouhani said in a televised speech.

The two-month deadline given by Iran for parties to the nuclear agreement to fulfil their obligations ended yesterday.

Tehran has been urging European signatories to the deal to act and protect it from US sanctions since Washington unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions previously lifted under the deal.

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