Kamalvandi: We will exceed the 300 kilo enriched uranium ceiling by July 26
On Monday, June 17, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced in a press conference Iran's new measures to exit other JCPOA obligations.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, spoke to reporters at a press conference at the Arak (Khandab) heavy water facility this afternoon, Monday, June 17, explaining the latest technical measures taken by the Atomic Energy Organization to implement the recent statement by the Supreme National Security Council to suspend some JCPOA commitments.
Referring to recent decisions by the Supreme National Security Council, Kamalvandi stated that since the quadrupling of capacity, uranium production has increased by 3.67 percent, and starting today (Tir 6), we will exceed the 300 kilo uranium ceiling for 10 days.
He also said about the heavy water produced at the Arak heavy water facility: "The amount of heavy water used domestically may increase in the coming years."
The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization stated that “we are waiting for the country’s authorities to decide on the second step. Of course, there is an opportunity for the Europeans (but) Iran will no longer wait to see their action.”
Kamalvandi said that Iran's reserves will increase more rapidly, and if preserving the JCPOA is important to them [the Europeans], they should make an effort.
He added: "In the not-too-distant future, we will be able to use all of the heavy water produced domestically for various purposes. Previously, the excess of more than 130 tons was supposed to be given to international markets according to commitments, but now the commitments and restrictions of the JCPOA will not create any obstacles for us. We will also maintain international markets."
Kamalvandi considered the second stage of reducing commitments to Europe after the two-month deadline expires to be subject to “an order from the highest authorities.” This order, he said, is to launch and advance both reactors together; the aim is to advance both reactors in terms of both redesign and the previous design.
The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization threatened that "if the Europeans do not cooperate and Kennedy continues in the past, the pipes of the Arak power plant that contain cement will be replaced with new pipes, given that we have those pipes."
He said: "The US had put pressure on China with the idea that if Iran did not have the redesigned reactor, it would not need heavy water. In the last exemptions, the Americans had said that no one would buy heavy water. Fortunately, the Chinese, with whom we had been in contact for the past week or two, are working well with us. We are doing the design ourselves, and now we are in the stage of supplying equipment that the Europeans can supply, and this will be a good benchmark if they provide the facilities."
Regarding going beyond the 3.67 percent ceiling, Kamalvandi said: "There are two scenarios. One is to define enrichment beyond 3.67 percent for Bushehr's needs, which would be 5 percent, or for the Tehran reactor, which would be 20 percent. Different scenarios have been seen in this regard."
What can Europeans do?
Earlier, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, announced in a meeting with Helga Schmidt, the European Union's Deputy Head of Foreign Policy, that "Iran's 60-day deadline to Europe will not be extended under any circumstances, and Iran will implement the next measures, or the second step, unless they meet our demands."
This is while Europe, through German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who recently visited Iran, has told the country's officials that the European Union cannot perform miracles, but Iran's reduction of its commitments in the JCPOA or its withdrawal from the agreement will also put Europe in a difficult position in supporting the JCPOA and opposing the US positions. In general, Europeans consider it vital to change Iran's positions on regional issues and to join the financial special group agreements in order to provide stronger support to Iran in the dispute over the JCPOA.
Kamalvandi also said in a press interview in Arak that we do not know whether Europe is deliberately delaying "not fulfilling its obligations" to ease sanctions or whether there is nothing it can do.
Volker Peretz, head of Germany's most powerful think tank that advises the government on foreign policy, said in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper today that there is little Europe can do except to form a united front with other Security Council member states and advise the United States not to pour oil on the fire of the conflict and thereby help reduce tensions.
Source: DW
