Assistance to expand Iran's Nuclear Power Plant could be sanctionable: US

The United States on Friday (local time) warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite sanctions, according to the US State Department Spokesperson. The latest announcement is part of United States' "unprecedented maximum pressure campaign" on Iran, as per an official press release. Washington also targetted Iran's enriched uranium exports through its statement on May 3.

"Starting May 4, assistance to expand Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant beyond the existing reactor unit could be sanctionable. In addition, activities to transfer enriched uranium out of Iran in exchange for natural uranium could be sanctionable," Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in the statement. "Iran must stop all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment, and we will not accept actions that support the continuation of such enrichment. We will also no longer permit the storage for Iran of heavy water it has produced in excess of current limits; any such heavy water must no longer be available to Iran in any fashion," the statement added.

"The US will continue to apply maximum pressure until #Iran's leaders change their destructive behaviour, respect the rights of their people, and return to the negotiating table," the US State Department tweeted. The relations between Iran and the United States have worsened after the latter pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump came into power. Washington re-imposed sanctions on nuclear cooperation with Iran, including by re-designating Atomic Energy Organization of Iran entities, and by placing new limits on foreign assistance that could expand Iran's nuclear program in November 2018. Furthermore, in March 2019, the US designated an additional 31 Iranian individuals and entities "linked to Iran's WMD proliferation-sensitive activities," as per the US Department of State. 

(With inputs from agencies.)