Iran's top leader vows to further drop nuke commitments

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that the Islamic republic will continue reducing its commitments to the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, official IRNA news agency reported.

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's office shows Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to the members of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, 02 October 2019. [Photo: IC]

"As per the nuclear issue, we will continue to reduce our commitments, and this should be done seriously," Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

"The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is responsible for implementing the drop of nuclear commitments precisely and completely until we achieve a desired outcome," he added.

As a reaction to the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, its subsequent sanctions on Tehran and Europe's sluggishness to save Iran's interests under the deal, Iran started withdrawal from its nuclear commitments in May.

Since then, Iran has made moves to build stockpiles of nuclear fuel and enrich low-grade uranium to a higher level of purity, and has started up advanced centrifuges to boost the country's stockpile of enriched uranium, which had been restricted by the JCPOA.