The European Union said it will “redouble” its intention to preserve the Iran nuclear deal amidst recent reports that Tehran is enriching uranium to 20 percent, according to a statement by EU spokesman Peter Stano Tuesday.
“We will redouble our efforts to preserve the agreement and return to its full implementation by all parties,” said Stano.
Stano recognized that Iran has exhibited “a significant departure from Iran’s nuclear commitments,” and emphasized that this was a “deep concern” to the EU, which is why a return to the deal would require adherence by all signatories.
Iran’s most recent breach of the Iran deal Monday, enriching uranium up to 20 percent at its Fordow nuclear facility, “will have serious implications when it comes to nuclear nonproliferation,” and the EU believes the best plan of action is to “strengthen” the nuclear deal’s original commitments.
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani made clear in December 2020 that Iran would only rejoin the nuclear deal if the U.S. agreed to do so with no preconditions.
“Under no circumstances” would Iran allow for a new nuclear deal, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in November 2020.
In September 2020, President-elect Biden said the U.S. would return to the original Iran deal “as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.” However, Iran has stated that it will not accept any attempts to reduce its ballistic missile program or nuclear capability beyond what is already included in the 2015 JCPOA.
In 2018, President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA on the basis of “a clear-eyed assessment of the Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism, and its continuing aggression in the Middle East and all around the world.”
