JEDDAH — European powers — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — have expresses "grave concern" over the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirming that Iran has taken steps in the production of enriched uranium metal. Meanwhile, the United States described the Iranian move as an "unfortunate step backwards." Speaking during the regular press conference on Tuesday, the official spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price, said that the US has shown its willingness to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), stressing that his country has identified ways more effective and productive to deal with the case. In a statement, foreign ministers of the European powers, who are also known as the E3, said that the move is a serious violation of Iran’s commitments under the JCPoA.“Iran has no credible civilian need for uranium metal R&D and production, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon,” the EU said in the statement. “This further step in Iran’s escalation of its nuclear violations is all the more concerning at a time when no date has been set for the continuation of the negotiations in Vienna on a return to the JCPoA.” “This also takes place in the context of Iran having significantly curtailed IAEA accesses through withdrawing from JCPoA agreed monitoring arrangements and ceasing application of the additional protocol,” the statement added. Foreign ministers of the E3 strongly urged Iran to halt all activities in violation of the JCPOA, without delay and to return to the negotiations in Vienna with a view to bringing them to a swift conclusion. “We have repeatedly stressed that time is on no one’s side. With its latest steps, Iran is threatening a successful outcome to the Vienna talks despite the progress achieved in six rounds of negotiations to date,” foreign ministers added in their statement. The E3’s statement comes after the UN atomic watchdog said that Iran has given notice of concrete steps to produce uranium metal enriched to up to 20 percent purity for reactor fuel. "Today, Iran informed the Agency that UO2 (uranium oxide) enriched up to 20% U–235 would be shipped to the R&D laboratory at the Fuel Fabrication Plant in Esfahan, where it would be converted to UF4 (uranium tetrafluoride) and then to uranium metal enriched to 20% U–235, before using it to manufacture the fuel," the IAEA said in a statement. The IAEA described the Iranian plan as a "multi-stage process", suggesting it will take time before the enriched metal is produced.