UN atomic watchdog says Iran is abiding by nuclear deal

VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran has stayed within key limits on its nuclear activities imposed by its 2015 deal with six world powers, a report by the UN atomic watchdog showed on Thursday.

The report was the third since the January inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who has called the 2015 agreement between six major powers and Iran, reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, “the worst deal ever negotiated.”

Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium as of August 21 was 88.4 kg., well below a 202.8kg. limit, and the level of enrichment did not exceed a 3.67% cap, according to the confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report sent to IAEA member states and seen by Reuters.

Iran’s stock of so-called heavy water, a moderator used in a type of reactor that can produce plutonium, stood at 111 tons, below a 130ton limit agreed to by the parties to the deal.

The report said Iran restarted production of heavy water on June 17 after a maintenance shutdown of the plant that started on April 27.

Iran has breached its heavy-water limit slightly on two occasions before quickly shipping some amounts to Oman to get below the threshold.

Critics of this arrangement have said that merely transporting the chemical abroad and making the excess stock available for potential buyers in Oman is not sufficient. But the parties to the deal have so far agreed with this solution.

In June, shortly after the IAEA’s last report on Iran said its heavy water stock stood at 128.2 tons as of mid-May, Tehran said it would ship 20 tons abroad, officials told Reuters at the time. Thursday’s report confirmed this has happened.

Uranium enriched to a grade of under 5% of purity is considered suitable for civilian nuclear energy, while weapons-grade uranium requires enrichment of around 90%. Certain types of plutonium are a prime ingredient of atomic bombs.