US ends waivers for nations in Iran nuke deal
The United States said Wednesday it was ending waivers in its sanctions for nations that remain in the Iran nuclear accord, bringing the deal further to the verge of collapse.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was responding to Iran's "brinkmanship" -- its series of small but defiant nuclear steps, aimed at pressuring the United States to remove sanctions as called for by the 2015 accord.
"These escalatory actions are unacceptable and I cannot justify renewing the waiver," Pompeo said.
The United States will notably do away with the waivers that allowed the modification of the heavy water reactor in Arak, which prevented it from using plutonium for military use, as well as the export of spent and scrap research reactor fuel.
Pompeo said that the United States was issuing a final 60-day waiver to allow companies involved in the projects to wrap up operations.
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