France, Germany and Great Britain on Friday warned Iran that it "
compromised
" any return to negotiations to save the agreement governing its nuclear program with its repeated violations of this text, more recently on the production of uranium metal.
"
By accelerating its violations, Iran is jeopardizing the possibility that a return to diplomacy will allow the full and complete achievement of the objectives of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)
", said the spokespersons of the three ministries of the affairs foreigners in a joint statement.
Read also: Iran: the headlong rush towards the bomb
"
Under this agreement, Iran has undertaken not to produce metallic uranium and not to conduct research and development on uranium metallurgy for a period of 15 years
", recalled the three countries, co-signatories of the 2015 text with the United States - which left it in 2018 - Russia and China.
The International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Wednesday that it "
proceeded on February 8 to the verification of 3.6 grams of uranium metal in the Isfahan plant
" (center).
If this is not a surprise - Iran had announced in mid-January that it was moving in this direction - the subject is sensitive because uranium metal can be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
"
We reaffirm that these activities, which constitute a key stage in the development of a nuclear weapon, have no credible civilian justification in Iran
", hammered Paris, London and Berlin by urging "
Iran to put an end to them without delay and to refrain from any further violation of its nuclear commitments
”.
This new violation further weakens the Iran nuclear deal, which has threatened to shatter since Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it in 2018 before reinstating economic sanctions.
In response, Tehran has gradually freed itself since 2019 from most of its commitments, arguing that it had the right to do so in the face of “
flagrant violations
” of the rules by the other parties.
Read also: Nuclear: the new Biden Administration is already negotiating with Iran
The arrival on January 20 of Joe Biden at the White House gave hope for a resumption of the dialogue after the policy of "
maximum pressure
" exercised by his predecessor.
However, the new US president has warned that he will not take the first step in lifting the sanctions.
Conversely, the Iranians are calling for a return of the United States to the agreement, before returning themselves to respect their commitments.
