Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) announced in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday the country would be pulling out of further commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Photo by Iranian President Office/EPA-EFE
Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Iran announced it would begin developing centrifuges to hasten its uranium enrichment, the latest move by the Middle Eastern country to distance itself from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
According to Iran's Press TV, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday in a televised speech that the rollback on restrictions to its nuclear program will begin Friday, following through on threats he made Tuesday to renege on commitments Iran made in the deal if its remaining signatories failed to financially protect Iran from the effects of U.S. sanctions.
"The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will be obliged to immediately start research and development on whatever technical needs the country has, and set aside all R&D commitments stipulated in the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]," he said, adding, "We will carry out whatever we need technically ... under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and within a peaceful framework," Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.
Rouhani said the decision came after months-long negotiations with France, Britain, Germany and other world leaders failed to bear "the desired result."
This is the third time Iran has canceled agreements made in the JCPOA since May when Iran announced it would start stockpiling low enriched uranium and heavy water.
Meanwhile, the United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, focused on snuffing out its attempts to sell oil despite previous sanctions, which followed sanctions imposed the day before against the Middle Eastern country's civilian space agency, citing that technology used to launch space vehicles can be used to launch weapons of mass destruction. It is part of a "maximum pressure" campaign focused on bringing Iran back to negotiations with the Trump administration.
"We did sanctions yesterday," said Brian Hook, special representative for Iran and senior advisor to the secretary. "We did sanctions Friday. We did sanctions today. There will be more sanctions coming."
Tensions between the two countries began to escalate last May when President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA, declaring it deficient, and slapping sanctions against the sale of Iranian crude.
Rouhani said Wednesday that the deal's remaining signatories had another two months to reach an agreement over sanctions relief methods, suggesting that a fourth rollback may be on the horizon.
