U.S. extends sanction waivers on Iranian nuclear program

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. government has extended for another 60 days sanction waivers that allow Russian, Chinese, and European countries to continue nonproliferation work at Iranian nuclear sites, RFE/RL reports.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the waiver extensions on March 30 but maintained that the decision restricts Iran's atomic work.

"Iran's continued expansion of nuclear activities is unacceptable. The regime's nuclear extortion is among the greatest threats to international peace and security," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

The waivers allow nonproliferation work to continue at the Arak heavy-water research reactor, the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Tehran Research Reactor, and other nuclear initiatives.

Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran had been blocking international nuclear inspectors from investigating possible nuclear activities at two sites.