Joint statement by the spokespeople for the Foreign
Ministries of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the
Iranian nuclear programme.
We, the governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom,
condemn Iran's latest steps, as reported by the IAEA, to further
expand its nuclear programme.
Iran has taken further steps in hollowing out the JCPoA, by
operating dozens of additional advanced centrifuges at the Natanz
enrichment site as well as announcing it will install thousands
more centrifuges at both its Fordow and Natanz sites. These
steps will further increase Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and
enrichment capacity, which already significantly exceed JCPoA
limits. This decision is a further escalation of Iran's nuclear
programme, which carries significant proliferation risks. Iran's
decision to substantially increase its production capacity at the
underground Fordow facility is especially concerning.
Presenting such steps as a reaction to the IAEA Board of
Governors' adoption of a resolution calling for Iran's long
overdue cooperation on safeguards is not acceptable. Iran is
legally obliged under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to fully
implement its safeguards agreement, which is separate to the
JCPoA.
We remain committed to a diplomatic solution preventing Iran from
developing nuclear weapons.
