Iran tells IAEA of atomic law change

VIENNA: Iran has officially alerted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of changes to the law governing its atomic efforts and asked for assistance in making the upgrades.

The new law, which went into effect in November, would allow the country’s atomic energy agencies to enrich up to 120kg of uranium to the level of 20% a year.

That would mean Iran was no longer adhering to a 2015 international deal that limited its nuclear ambitions in exchange for an end to international sanctions.

Iran has been moving towards ending its cooperation with the deal ever since the US Government pulled out of the deal in 2018. The letter to the IAEA was dated December 31.

The letter did not clarify when the new enrichment process would begin, but the agency noted its inspectors were permanently stationed in Iran and had regular access to its atomic facilities.

The new law was pushed by hardliners in the Iran Government.