TEHRAN- The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, said on Wednesday that Iran’s move to inject gas into a new batch of advanced centrifuges was a response to recent U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet session, Eslami said the move came within the framework of a nuclear law known as the strategic action law and a response to the recent oil sanctions imposed by the U.S.

“Americans regularly admit the failure of the policy of maximum pressure and have no hope for this policy. However, we are witnessing the dual and multiple behaviors of America and the false accusation that they attribute to the country for 20 years,” he said, according to IRNA. 

Eslami said that the West used allegations made by Israel and anti-revolutionary forces to exert pressure on Iran. 

“In different circumstances, Iran has reduced its rights and accepted restrictions and intensified monitoring so that these accusations and claims are dropped, no excuses are invented and sanctions are canceled and they allow the conditions to continue with the agreed pattern. But unfortunately, they did not fulfill these commitments and every day they bring new excuses and repeat the accusations in an intensified form,” the nuclear chief remarked. 

“In line with the implementation of the strategic law to lift the sanctions, and in response to the sanctions, we started injecting gas into the advanced centrifuges in order to show the Americans that Iran's will is a strong will to lift the sanctions and we will spare no action to secure the interests of the Iranian nation,” he stated. 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also said on Tuesday that Iran injected hexafluoride gas into hundreds of new generation centrifuges on Monday night in response to the new U.S. coercive actions against the Islamic Republic.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Islamic human rights and human dignity ceremony, Amir Abdollahian also said in the past weeks, while Iran was preparing for a new round of negotiations, the American side suddenly proposed a censure resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors with the aim of gaining concessions from Iran at the negotiating table.

“We were surprised that while during those days we were constantly receiving messages from Joe Biden through intermediaries that the U.S. has good intentions and is serious about returning to the (nuclear) agreement,” they crafted the resolution, the minister lamented.

However, he added, “We gave our decisive answer to the American side.”

The foreign minister also said that Iran was ready for making a deal. “I want to reiterate once again that we are serious about reaching a good, strong, and lasting deal. If the American side behaves realistically and shows the necessary flexibility in the possible negotiations, reaching a deal will not be out of reach,” he said, according to Fars News.

And Iran’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, has said Iran is ready to conclude the talks in a short period of time if the U.S. is ready to reciprocate.