Iran violates nuclear deal, exceeds limit on enriched uranium
PM: Tehran has been lying ‘all the time’
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile exceeded the 300 kg. limit set by the nuclear deal on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif confirmed, according to ISNA.
Zarif added that Iran will enrich uranium above 3.67% fissile purity if European countries fail to salvage the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
This constitutes a direct violation of the nuclear pact the world superpowers reached with Iran in 2015.
Under the deal, Iran was prohibited from accumulating more than 300 kg. of enriched uranium to the 3.67% level, and from enriching uranium beyond that level, such as to the 20% level it had accumulated before the deal. The 3.67% level is deemed suitable for generating civilian nuclear energy. Above that would mark the first step in a process that could eventually produce the more highly refined material that could be used for a nuclear warhead.
An Iranian source told Fars on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency found that the enriched uranium exceeded the ceiling of 300 kg.
“Our next step will be enriching uranium beyond the 3.67% allowed under the deal,” Zarif said, according to state-run Iranian broadcaster IRIB, Reuters reported. “The Europeans have failed to fulfill their promises of protecting Iran’s interests under the deal.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said in response to the announcement: “We told the Europeans that if more practical, more thorough and complete steps were taken, the measures taken to reduce Iran’s commitments could be reversed – otherwise we will continue.”
Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi said that, “if nothing happens in the next 10 days,” Iran would start the second phase of increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium to an amount higher than the amount before the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal was implemented in July 2015, according to Fars.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will firmly continue its move to decrease the nuclear deal undertakings, and to this end will soon take the first step and pass the ceiling of 300 kg. of enriched uranium,” a source told the Persian-language Khorassan newspaper, according to Fars.
Hours after Tehran’s confirmation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that more proof will soon be provided showing that Iran has been lying “all the time” about its nuclear development program.
“We proved that the entire nuclear agreement with Iran is based on one big lie,” Netanyahu said during a ceremony honoring outstanding reserve soldiers at the President’s Residence on Monday. “Now even Iran admits it. Soon there will be more proof that Iran has lied all the time.”
Amid the IAEA findings, Mojtaba Zolnour, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy commission, said that Israel will be destroyed in half an hour if the United States attacks Iran, Mehr reported.
“If the US attacks us, only half an hour will remain of Israel’s lifespan,” Zolnour said.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz called upon the international community to unite against Iran, saying that it has become clear that Iran is no longer just Israel’s problem but the entire world’s problem.
“Even during a time of elections, it’s important to emphasize that Iran is above all political considerations,” Gantz said. “We will support any decision by the government that will strengthen Israeli security.”
Gill Hoffman, Herb Keinon, Tzvi Joffre and Reuters contributed to this story. •