As part of its efforts to pressure to Europe to secure financial transactions for sale of its oil in order to evade US sanctions, Iran has taken the third step of incrementally reducing its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The agreement is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Sept. 9 that Iran had installed advanced IR-4, IR-5 and IR-6 centrifuges. The UN watchdog said the IR-6 centrifuges were installed but not yet tested. Under the JCPOA, Iran is permitted to use 5,000 first-generation IR-1 centrifuges for enrichment. 

Ahead of the IAEA report, Iran had announced it would be taking the third step and scaling back on its commitments to limit nuclear research and development. Iran’s previous steps included reducing its commitments to limit enrichment and stockpile levels. 

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the IAEA, said the nuclear agency’s report about the installment of new centrifuges is related to activity at the Natanz nuclear facility. Gharibabadi said President Hassan Rouhani had announced in advance that Iran would “eliminate all JCPOA commitments in the field of nuclear research and development.” Gharibabadi said Iran has already installed or is in the process of installing 22 IR-4 centrifuges, one IR-5 centrifuge, 30 IR-6 centrifuges and three IR-6s centrifuges.