The German, British and French foreign ministers called on Iran on Wednesday 6 January to immediately stop the production of uranium enriched to 20% in the underground Fordow plant. On 4 January, Tehran announced that it would resume its 20% enrichment activities, confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“We strongly urge Iran to stop enriching uranium to up to 20% without delay, reverse its enrichment programme to the limits agreed in the JCPoA and to refrain from any further escalatory steps which would further reduce the space for effective diplomacy”, the ministers stressed in a joint statement.
According to them, this 20% enrichment, which “has no credible civil justification and carries very significant proliferation-related risks” is a “clear violation” of Iran's commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA ) and “further hollows out the Agreement”.
Moreover, this measure constitutes a “serious” negative development that contradicts the joint commitment to preserve the JCPoA also made by Iran on 21 December and risks jeopardising the “important opportunity” to return to relations where diplomacy prevails, with the new American administration, the ministers denounced.
The heads of diplomacy of the E3 countries warned that they were in contact with their Russian and Chinese counterparts “to assess how to best address Iran’s non-compliance within the framework of the agreement”.
As early as 4 January, the EU had expressed its concern about the resumption of uranium enrichment at 20% (see EUROPE 12628/8), before reiterating its willingness to preserve the agreement (see EUROPE 12629/20). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)