MNA - Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has warned against any escalation of the nuclear dispute as Iran takes third step of reducing commitments to JCPOA in the face of EU's failure to live up to its own commitments.


 








"Everyone must act responsibly now, otherwise we risk losing the chance to come to a peaceful resolution," he told the Funke media group in an interview. It would "send a completely wrong signal if Iran halted its compliance" with the agreement, he added, saying Tehran should return to ensuring "full compliance" with the nuclear deal.

The German foreign minister's comments followed Iran's announcement on Saturday that it would start using advanced centrifuges as part of the third step to reduce commitments to the JCPOA.

Iran's new step comes after the Europeans failed to meet a 60-day deadline to meet Iran’s demands and fulfill their commitments under the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has been falling apart since the US unilaterally withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

Tehran says its countermeasures fit within its rights under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the nuclear deal, and that it will reverse the measures once its demands are met.