Iran is ready to boost its uranium enrichment capacity if negotiations with Europe fail to save the nuclear deal, said spokesperson of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi at a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.
“We are of course continuing to carry out and implement our obligations based on the JCPOA,” Kamalvandi noted, adding that “at the same time, taking every scenario into consideration, we are preparing ourselves.”
“In the Atomic Energy Organisation, too, we believe that it would be better if the JCPOA lives on. But if the other side fails to fulfill its duties, then there will be no justification for us to keep ourselves limited,” Kamalvandi said.
Speaking at the press event, Kamalvandi also underlined the importance of cooperation between Iran and Russia, saying: “Russia’s stances are good and firm in supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran, supporting the JCPOA, and, well, the country has expressed its criticism of the US more strongly than any other country.”
JCPOA, known unofficially as the Iranian nuclear deal, is an internationally-agreed-upon settlement which aims to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the gradual lifting of international sanctions. On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from the deal and the reinstatement of sanctions against Tehran.