San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Tehran threatens to break nuclear enrichment limit
TEHRAN — A top aide to Iran’s supreme leader says the Islamic Republic is ready to enrich uranium beyond the level set by Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, just ahead of a deadline it set Sunday for Europe to offer new terms to the accord. A video message by Ali Akbar Velayati included him saying that “Americans directly and Europeans indirectly violated the deal,” part of Tehran’s hardening tone with Europe. European parties to the deal have yet to offer a way for Iran to avoid the sweeping economic sanctions imposed by President Trump since he pulled the U.S. out of the accord a year ago, especially those targeting its crucial oil sales.
All this comes as America has rushed thousands of troops, an aircraft carrier, nuclearcapable B52 bombers and advanced fighter jets to the Mideast. Mysterious oil tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, attacks by Iranianbacked rebels in Yemen on Saudi Arabia and Iran shooting down a U.S. military drone have raised fears of a wider conflict engulfing the region.
In the video, available Saturday on a website for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Velayati said that increasing enrichment closer to weaponsgrade levels was “unanimously agreed upon by every component of the establishment.”
“If they go back to fulfilling their commitments, we will do so as well,” said Velayati, Khamenei’s adviser on international affairs.
Europe is struggling to salvage the 2015 accord against the odds. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke for more than an hour Saturday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and said they are trying to find a way by July 15 to resume international dialogue with Iran.
Under the atomic accord, Iran agreed to enrich uranium to no more than 3.67%, which is enough for peaceful pursuits but is far below weaponsgrade levels of 90%. Iran denies it seeks nuclear weapons, but the nuclear deal sought to prevent that as a possibility by limiting enrichment and Iran’s stockpile of uranium to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). On Monday, Iran and United Nations inspectors acknowledged it had broken the stockpile limit. Combining that with increasing its enrichment levels narrows the oneyear window experts believe Iran would need to have enough material to build a nuclear weapon.
The U.S. said its ambassador to international organizations in Vienna had requested a special meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. The meeting is planned for Wednesday.
Jon Gambrell is an Associated Press writer.