In his letter to Mogherini, Zarif has announced that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will stop implementing all its JCPOA commitments with regards to nuclear research and development” as of Friday due to the “impacts of America’s exit from the JCPOA and the re-imposition of its sanctions, and the three European countries’ failure to fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA and the communiqués of the joint commission,” Mousavi said Thursday.

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“It has been emphasized in this letter that the move is exactly in line with Iran’s rights under the JCPOA, especially based on its Paragraph 36, and is a response to widespread and continued violations of the JCPOA over the past 16 months.”

“Iran will subsequently inform the International Atomic Energy Agency of the technical and operational details of its decision to stop implementing its nuclear R&D commitments,” he added.

According to the spokesman, the final part of the letter stresses that “in order to show its good will, the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to continue negotiations at all levels with the parties remaining in the JCPOA, and to return to the full implementation of the JCPOA in case the other parties implement all their JCPOA commitments.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced on Wednesday that the country will expand its nuclear research and development as of September 6, lifting all the restrictions imposed on the country’s R&D in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Meanwhile yesterday, the European Union expressed concern about Iran’s plan to defy provisions of the agreement and urged the Islamic Republic to step back from the brink.

European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Friday that the EU notes “with great concern the announcement made by Iran.”

“We urge Iran to reverse all activities that are inconsistent with its commitments” under the accord and to “refrain from any further measures that undermine the preservation and full implementation of the nuclear deal,” she said.

Also Friday, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Iran was not sending the “right statement” with its announcement and urged Tehran “not to exacerbate the situation.”

“The German government will carefully examine which individual steps Iran takes,” he said. “It’s not too late for Iran to leave the slope it has put itself on.”

Iran’s foreign minister defended his country’s plan to take further steps away from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if Europe fails to provide a solution on reviving it by a deadline that expired Friday.

The remarks by Mohammad Javad Zarif came as Iran is poised to begin work on advanced centrifuges that will enrich uranium faster as the nuclear deal unravels.

On his part, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday that it appeared Iran was inching toward a place where talks could be held, days after US President Donald Trump left the door open to a possible meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Esper said it was “in light of some of the comments made by the Iranians in the wake of the G7.” He added: “’Inching’ is subtle movements and I think that’s a good thing.”

Meanwhile yesterday, the European Commission emphasized its reliance on the UN’s nuclear watchdog being able to monitor Iran’s activities as it voiced “great concern” at Teheran’s shrinking back from the nuclear accord.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a “key role… in monitoring and verifying the implementation by Iran of the nuclear commitments” under the 2015 accord with world powers, Commission spokeswoman Kocijancic told a media briefing.

“Our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran,” she said, adding that the EU based its assessment of that “on the reports done by the International Atomic Energy Agency”.