Iran ups nuclear efforts as it calls on West to ease trade sanctions
IRAN has speeded up its uranium enrichment programme in the latest breach of the nuclear deal as it ratchets up pressure on the West.
A spokesman for the country’s nuclear agency said it had launched 40 centrifuges, boosting its ability to make reactor fuel and, ultimately, nuclear weapons.
Behrouz Kamalvandi said the measures were reversible if the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal restored Iran’s access to foreign trade.
“If there is some action to be taken [to salvage the nuclear deal], it should be done quickly,” he said yesterday.
Britain, France and Germany have repeatedly said they are committed to saving the deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has led the European initiative. In his latest effort, he offered Iran a $15billion (£12.2billion) line of credit to compensate for lost oil sales.
Mr Kamalvandi said the centrifuges could enrich uranium to concentrations of 20 per cent: 90 per cent is required to make weapons-grade uranium.
Iran began breaching the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement after the US abandoned the deal last May and reimposed economic sanctions. The deal was intended to prohibit Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
In July the International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran had stockpiles of enriched uranium in excess of the 661lb (300kg) allowed under the accord. Less than a week later, it began to enrich uranium to a 4.5 per cent concentration, exceeding the 3.67 per cent limit set out in the deal.
The UK and French governments expressed disappointment at Iran’s latest move. “This third step away from its commitments under the nuclear deal is particularly disappointing at a time when we and our European and international partners are working hard to de-escalate tensions with Iran,” the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Adrian Darya 1 tanker seized off Gibraltar in July has been photographed by a US satellite off the Syrian port of Tartus.
The vessel formerly known as Grace 1 was released on Aug 15 after Tehran said its 2.1 million barrels of oil would not be released to Syria. The tanker was seized in July by British Royal Marines, who suspected it was travelling to Syria in breach of sanctions.