Russia: JCPOA sides to help Iran export heavy water

Russia says the signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are seeking to introduce measures that will enable Tehran to resume exports of low enriched uranium and heavy water despite US sanctions.

"In the context of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the JCPOA’s nuclear aspects, experts from the member nations have been tasked to elaborate practical measures to make it possible for Iran to export low enriched uranium and heavy water in bypassing the US sanctions," the Russia Foreign Ministry said.

The statement added that the remaining signatories to the nuclear agreement - Britain, Germany, France, Russian, China - had stressed the need to support Iran's nuclear activities as part of upholding the JCPOA, specifically in matters related to the production and export of Iran's low enriched uranium and heavy water.

The statement came after the remaining signatories to the nuclear agreement met in the Austrian capital on Friday at a JCPOA Joint Commission meeting in a last-ditch effort to save the nuclear agreement. 

Following Friday's JCPOA joint commission meeting, however, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi described the event as "a step forward" but explained that the progress was still not "meeting Iran’s expectations". 

Araqchi added that the Europeans have confirmed that the planned Instex trade mechanism is now “operational” and that first transactions are already processed, but added that it was still insufficient because European countries were not buying Iranian oil.

SS