translated from Spanish: Iran abandons compliance with limitations to its atomic program

The Iranian government announced on Sunday that it is no longer complying in practice with the limitations imposed on its atomic program by the 2015 nuclear agreement, although it will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Ergy (IAEA).
According to the official communiqué, the fifth and final step of reducing nuclear commitments “eliminates the last remaining technical restriction, which was the limit on the number of centrifuges,” which was about 6,100 for uranium production.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program does not thus face operational constraints on the capacity and percentage of uranium enrichment, the amount of enriched material, and research and development.
From now on, Iran’s nuclear program will be developed solely on the basis of its “technical needs,” the text, published after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Hasan Rohani, added.
Despite ceasing to meet the limitations, the Iranian executive did not announce its withdrawal from the historic pact, which was abandoned by the United States in May 2018, which also reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Iran began in May to gradually stop fulfilling its nuclear commitments and to give two-month ultimatums to the remaining signatories of the agreement (Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany) to counter US sanctions,
MAINTAINS COOPERATION WITH the IAEA
Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA will continue as before, the official note reported, indicating that the Persian authorities will continue to allow inspections by the international body’s experts.
The IAEA has a duty to verify compliance with the nuclear agreement and the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the safeguards agreements (controls) of the Iranian atomic program.
The Iranian government also anticipated that it will return to its nuclear commitments if sanctions are lifted and the country benefits from its interests enshrined in the pact.
The nuclear deal, JCPOA, limited Iran’s atomic program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, leaving the U.S. exit severely weakened.
Europe has tried to take steps to save the pact, but none have been effective and the special payment channel promised to circumvent sanctions has not yet been put in place.
ONE MORE STEP THROUGH TENSION
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abas Musaví explained hours before the official announcement that a number of decisions had already been made regarding the fifth step but that these could be affected due to “the current situation.”
Last Friday, the U.S. killed the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qasem Soleimaní, in a bombing in Baghdad, and Tehran has promised that acontra.
Faced with these threats, US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he has identified 52 targets from Iran to respond “very quickly” and “very strong” to Tehran’s eventual reprisals.
In light of these statements, the Foreign Office spokesperson stated that “in politics, all events and threats are linked to each other.”
The possibility that the murder of Soleimani would affect the already battered nuclear agreement was an option feared by the other signatories, so the European Union made an attempt in extremis today to prevent it.
EU APPEAL
The European External Action Service reported that the head of Community diplomacy, Josep Borrell, had invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Yavad Zarif to Brussels to discuss this issue.
Borrell stressed “the importance of preserving” the Iranian nuclear deal, which he believes “remains crucial to global security,” while Russia, Iran’s ally, expressed hope that the assassination of Commander Soleimaní would not affect JCPOA.
In early July, the Iranian authorities already exceeded both the 300 kilo limit of stored uranium stockpiles and the 3.67% enrichment level, reaching a purity of 4.5%, which can now be even exceeded.
Tehran has ensured that it is able to re-enrich uranium at 20% quickly as it reached that level before the pact’s signature, which is, however, much lower than is necessary to develop the atomic bomb.
The heavy water storage limit has also been exceeded, advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges have been put into operation, when JCPOA only allows first generation centrifuges to be used, and uranium has begun to be enriched at the Fordo plant.
Despite stopping fulfilling their commitments, the Iranian authorities have repeatedly reiterated that their goal is not to manufacture nuclear weapons.

Original source in Spanish