TEHRAN - Ali Akbar Salehi, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Wednesday that Iran is not obliged to restrict its stockpile of enriched uranium to 300kg and its heavy water to 130 tons.

After a cabinet meeting, he told reporters that Iran will not follow these two restrictions for 60 days. 

The nuclear chief added Iran is acting within the framework of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, and withdrawal from the deal is not on the agenda.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) issued a statement on Wednesday announcing that Iran will stop implementing some parts of its commitments under the nuclear deal.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran upholds its rights under articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA and will stop implementing some parts of its obligation under the JCPOA from today, May 8, 2019, in line with protecting the Iranian people’s security and national interests,” the statement said.

The JCPOA was signed in July 2015 between Iran, the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. However, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the deal last year and ordered the toughest sanctions against Iran. 

Under the JCPOA, endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran was tasked to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. However, since the U.S. left the deal in May 2018, the Europeans have failed to compensate for the U.S. withdrawal and just paid lip service to the agreement.

NA/PA