Iran to breach nuclear enrichment
Print Edition
Iran said yesterday it would breach internationally agreed curbs on its stock of low-enriched uranium in 10 days — a move likely to worsen already high tensions with Washington — but it added European nations still had time to save a landmark nuclear deal.
In a sign of concern at Iran’s announcement, Germany urged Tehran to meet all its obligations under the 2015 accord. Britain said if Iran breached limits agreed under the deal then London would look at “all options.”
Close US ally Israel urged world powers to step up sanctions against Tehran swiftly should it exceed the enriched uranium limit.
US-Iran tensions are growing following accusations by US President Donald Trump’s administration that Tehran last Thursday attacked two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a vital oil shipping route. Iran denies having any role.
Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, denied Tehran was behind the attacks and said if the Islamic Republic decided to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, it would do so publicly.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said on state TV that “We have quadrupled the rate of enrichment (of uranium) and even increased it more recently so that in 10 days it will bypass the 300kg limit. Iran’s reserves are every day increasing at a more rapid rate.”
Tehran said in May it would reduce compliance with the nuclear pact it agreed with world powers in 2015, in protest at the United States’ decision to unilaterally pull out of the agreement and reimpose sanctions last year.
The deal seeks to head off any pathway to an Iranian nuclear bomb in return for the removal of most international sanctions. The accord requires Iran to curb its uranium enrichment capacity, capping Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium at 300kg of uranium hexafluoride enriched to 3.67 percent or its equivalent for 15 years.
A series of more intrusive UN inspections under the deal have verified that Iran has been meeting its commitments.
Urging European signatories to speed up their efforts to salvage the accord, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said its collapse would not be in the interests of the region or the world.
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