Iran partly resumes nuclear activities to enrich uranium

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will announce in a public speech on Wednesday (local time) to resume nuclear activities for uranium enrichment, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA on Tuesday. Such a move was made by Iran one year after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally declared the withdrawal on May 8 last year from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which was led by the Obama administration. The resumption of Iran’s nuclear development stands to have great impact on the nuclear negotiations with North Korea, which has recently been left at a crossroads.

IRNA reported that the Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote a letter on Tuesday to the five signing partners of the JCPOA in 2015 – the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany that Iran intends to execute the non-fulfillment of the nuclear agreement. Local media outlets have speculated the production of centrifuges and uranium enrichment beyond allowance limitations even with few details not revealed yet. President Rouhani wrote a separate letter to High Representative of the European Union Federica Mogherini for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Reportedly, the president said in the letter that Iran has attempted to implement the nuclear agreement over the past one year during which the United States withdrew and carried out sanctions against Iran. He added to say that there is no option but to retract some parts of the agreement as the other countries concerned do not abide by it, according to reports.

The U.S. government has strengthened sanctions against Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his visit to Germany scheduled on Tuesday, turning his route to Iraq to discuss Iran-related issues. U.S. aircraft carriers and bombers have been displayed on the field to target Iran. France warned that Europe has an obligation to sanction Iran if it does violate the nuclear agreement, according to Reuters.


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