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Iran's response to US economic terrorism opposite of Trump's belief: FM Zarif

Tuesday, 05 November 2019 7:13 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 05 November 2019 7:24 PM ]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran gives a response to the United States’ policy of pursuing “economic terrorism” and “blackmail” in a way quite opposite of what US President Donald Trump was led to believe.

Zarif made the remarks in a tweet on Tuesday after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country will start injecting uranium gas into centrifuges at the Fordow enrichment facility on Wednesday, in the fourth step Tehran is taking away from the multinational nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in response to the United States' withdrawal.

PressTV-Nuclear commitment cuts: Fordow gas injection to start

President Rouhani says Iran will start injecting uranium gas into centrifuges at the Fordow facility on Wednesday, in the fourth step towards scaling back its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

In a speech broadcast live on TV, Rouhani said the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) will be ordered to begin the gas injection process at the Fordow nuclear facility — where 1,044 centrifuges are installed — under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In his tweet, the top Iranian diplomat emphasized that the country's latest decision to take the fourth step in scaling back its commitments under the agreement has been foreseen in the JCPOA.

Our response to US #EconomicTerrorism & blackmail is opposite of what @realDonaldTrump was led to believe.

Our 4th step to suspend a #JCPOA provision is foreseen in Para 36 as remedy to US+E3 violations.

Easy solution for E3/EU: Abide by your obligations & we'll reverse course. pic.twitter.com/tCMHIzLpAS
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) November 5, 2019

"Our 4th step to suspend a #JCPOA provision is foreseen in Para 36 as remedy to US+E3 violations," Zarif said.

He advised the European Union and the three European signatories to the nuclear deal -- Britain, France and Germany -- to abide by their obligations as an easy solution, saying Iran will "reverse course" in that case.

PressTV-EU, signatories react to Iran’s new step away from JCPOA

EU, Russia and France show reactions to Iran’s decision to take a fourth step in scaling back its commitments under the JCPOA.

Iran will enrich uranium to 5% at Fordow: AEOI head

The AEOI head also said on Tuesday that Iran will start enriching uranium to 5% at the Fordow nuclear facility on Wednesday.

"We have previously enriched uranium to 5% and 20% at the Fordow site. Now we possess enough 20% enriched uranium, but we have the capability to produce it in accordance with the JCPOA if our reserves end," the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted Salehi as saying.

He added that Iran would start injecting gas into advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow site on Wednesday in the presence of inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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