Iran to reduce nuclear deal commitments on July 7
GENEVA : Iran will take new steps to reduce its commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers on July 7, said the Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani yesterday, according to the Fars news agency.
Mr Shamkhani said European signatories to the nuclear deal had not done enough to save it. The 2015 deal requires Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. The US withdrew from the deal last year and reimposed sanctions.
Iran said it intends to continue complying with it, but cannot do so indefinitely unless European countries find ways to protect it from US sanctions, Reuters reported.
This comes after US National Security Adviser John Bolton yesterday described as "deafening" Iran's apparent silence on an offer to negotiate with Washington.
"The President has held the door open to real negotiations," Mr Bolton told reporters in Jerusalem, AFP reported.
"In response, Iran's silence has been deafening."
Teheran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its programme is for civilian use.
Mr Bolton said the US remains open to negotiations.
But Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that new US sanctions showed Washington is "lying" about an offer to negotiate.
"At the same time as you call for negotiations you seek to sanction the foreign minister? It's obvious that you're lying," Mr Rouhani said in a meeting with ministers live on TV.
He also questioned the logic of blacklisting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said it showed Washington is "confused".
"The leader's assets are a (Shiite place of worship) and a simple house. Our leaders are not like other countries' leaders who have billions in an account abroad so you can sanction it, seize it or block it," Mr Rouhani said. "To sanction him for what? Not to travel to America? That's cute."
Russiaaccused Washington of being reckless with new sanctions, saying it stood in solidarity with Teheran.
"US authorities should think hard about where this reckless course of action can lead," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"It is capable of not only destabilising the Middle East but undermining the entire system of international security."
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