Russia Concerned About Iran’s Increasing Uranium Enrichment in Natanz

Iran

March 18th, 7:52am

Moscow - Asharq Al-Awsat

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov during consultations with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi in August 2020. (IAEA)

Russia has expressed concern over the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report on Iran’s decision to start enriching uranium at its Natanz plant with new advanced IR-4 centrifuges. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov urged Tehran to exercise restraint and avoid escalation and called on Washington to take a step forward to improve the situation in terms of the nuclear deal. “We take it seriously, we are concerned. We have been calling and we keep calling on all the sides to exercise restraint,” Ryabkov said. The US should eventually make progress in lifting sanctions, he told Sputnik news agency. “A certain impetus is needed.” “But so far, we only see the expansion of the sanctions list targeting Iran.” “It is important to use this moment to try to compile a certain roadmap for improving the situation in general,” he stressed. “I will tell you once again that a positive impetus by the US would be extremely important. However, we are calling on the Iranian side as well to exercise restraint and not to follow the logic of escalation,” Ryabkov concluded.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2867091/russia-concerned-about-iran%E2%80%99s-increasing-uranium-enrichment-natanz