TEHRAN - Tehran is unable to export enriched uranium and heavy water exactly because of U.S. sanctions that encumber implementation of certain provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a Russian official has said, Sputniknews reported on Tuesday.

“The United States has made enriched uranium and heavy water export impossible. Iran will, therefore, stock it, and only Washington is to blame," said Vladimir Ermakov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control. 

“As cynical as this sounds, Tehran is doing exactly what Washington was urging it to do through its recent 'nuclear' sanctions,” he added. 

In the meantime, he said, Iran's nuclear activities are currently in full compliance with the JCPOA, the official name for the 2015 international nuclear deal.

"Iran has never violated the NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] and it has agreed to make unprecedented steps toward ensuring the transparency of its nuclear program within the so-called nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Washington's actions aimed at undermining major international agreements that promote the strengthening of regional and global security are a real threat to the nuclear nonproliferation regime", Ermakov explained.

The official noted with regret that the global community did not properly rebuff "U.S. destructive policies".

"Russia and China prepared last year a working document in JCPOA support. However, Europeans and other U.S. allies were afraid to join our initiative. We all see the regrettable results of such an attitude", Ermakov concluded.

A year ago, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed all sanctions lifted under the agreement. In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced on 8 May that Tehran would partially discontinue its commitments under the deal, giving Europe 60 days to ensure that Iran's interests were protected under the agreement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that he expected to have a frank conversation about Iran with U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo. Lavrov also said that he hoped to hear an explanation of how Washington planned to solve the crisis around the JCPOA.

SP/PA