Moscow Says against Any Unilateral Sanctions on Iran

We have repeatedly emphasized that “Moscow is principally against any unilateral sanctions on Iran” as they run counter to international law, Vladimir Voronkov told the Tass news agency on Tuesday.
 
His remarks came after representatives from Iran, the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany) and the European Union gathered in Vienna’s Palais Coburg hotel on Tuesday to address Iran’s complaint about a US congressional bill extending Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for ten years.

In mid-December 2016, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, who is also the coordinator of the JCPOA joint commission, calling for a session of the commission on the US controversial move.

The Russian envoy further said, “We talked about excess heavy water. Iranians claim they’ve found a buyer. As of now, its stock is within the limits set in the JCPOA. There is currently no risk of their exceeding those limits.”

He added that Russia had bought the previous batch of excess heavy water and was not considering additional purchases. 

On November 22, Iran’s nuclear chief said Iran had shipped around 11 tons of its excess heavy water, a material used as a moderator in nuclear reactors, to Oman as part of the July 2015 nuclear deal.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said the country sent the cargo of heavy water to Oman after the other parties to the JCPOA expressed readiness to purchase the product.

Heavy water is used in some nuclear reactors but is not radioactive.

Under the JCPOA, which came into force in January 2016, Iran is allowed to use heavy water in its modified Arak nuclear reactor but should sell any excess supply of both heavy water and enriched uranium on the international market.