Iran raises stakes in nuclear talks after sabotage bid
Iran said yesterday that it would dramatically increase its uranium enrichment levels in response to an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility, a further breach of its nuclear deal with world powers that talks are struggling to salvage.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister who is leading negotiations in Vienna on saving the nuclear deal that are set to resume this week, said Tehran would begin enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity, up from the 20 per cent it is currently producing.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action limited enrichment to 3.67 per cent but Iran has reduced its adherence to the pact after former president Donald Trump withdrew the United States three years ago.
Enrichment of this level is still short of the 90 per cent needed to produce nuclear weapons. There are civilian applications for highly enriched uranium, including for research and fuel for nuclear-powered ships.
Araghchi cited medical purposes as the ostensible reason for the 1000 new centrifuges that he said would be added to the Natanz facility, which was damaged in an apparent sabotage bid last week.
Iran promised revenge for the attack, which it blamed on Israel. Foreign Minister Javad Zarid said yesterday that Israel had made a “very bad gamble if it thought that the attack will weaken Iran’s hand in the nuclear talks. On the contrary, it will strengthen our position”. Israel has not formally commented on the incident.
The move to increase enrichment — which could enable Iran’s growing uranium stockpile to be further enriched to weapons-grade in a shorter timeframe — will up the ante for talks in the Austrian capital this week. The remaining signatories to the agreement — Iran, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China — are discussing a US return to the pact. A delegation from Washington is in Vienna but is not meeting directly with Iranian officials.
Israel vehemently opposes the US returning to the agreement, arguing instead for a new deal that addresses Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for proxy forces across the region. Iranian-backed al-Alam TV reported yesterday that an Israeliowned vessel was struck off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. There were no reported casualties and no claim of responsibility.—