Russia FM: Lack of progress on Iran forcing it to build its nuclear abilities

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Iran’s steps to produce uranium metal contradict the 2015 nuclear agreement signed between the Islamic Republic and the world powers, but Moscow understands the reason for these steps.

“Iran’s steps are considered another retreat from the agreements contained in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to settle the Iranian nuclear program issue,” Zakharova said in a statement issued yesterday, however she added that Moscow understands the reason for Tehran’s actions which are largely due to “the lack of tangible practical results for efforts to return to the nuclear agreement, while the list of unilateral sanctions against Iran and the third countries cooperating with it, imposed by the United States, remains.”

“We are concerned that this will take us further from the desired goal and complicate the task of creating conditions for the implementation of comprehensive agreements,” she warned.

Germany, Britain and France have recently expressed their concern about the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s report on Iran’s production of enriched uranium and the increase of its capabilities to 60 per cent.

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