“We have chosen the right path in reducing our commitments and have affirmed that we can be patient to a certain extent. We cannot be held fully accountable while the others don’t respect their commitments,” said Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in presence of cabinet ministers.
Iran started to go back on its voluntary commitments within the 2015 nuclear deal on May 8, the first anniversary of the US withdrawal from the agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Tehran says the moves are a response to a lack of political will by the three European signatories of the deal, France, Germany and the UK, to stand up to the US pressures and sanctions.
“We will continue on our path if the 4+1 discussions don’t go well,” Rouhani threatened, referring to talks between Iran, France, the UK, Russia, China as well as Germany.
Iran has scaled back its nuclear commitments twice by slightly increasing the uranium enrichment cap and stockpiling heavy water. Iran will take the third phase in September 6.
“The world powers know that if Iran’s oil is totally sanctioned and the country’s oil exports are brought down to zero, international waterways can’t be as much safe as they were in the past. Unilateral pressures against Iran can’t benefit them and guarantee their security in the region and the world,” Rouhani added.
The US has launched a so-called “maximum-pressure” campaign to halt Iranian oil exports and tighten the financial noose against Tehran.
Rouhani mentioned that the government is set to expand refineries to increase the sale of petrochemical products to replace the crude oil.
He also reiterated his government’s efforts to restructure the budget, saying the sanctions were an opportunity to attain the goal.
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