Iran has breached uranium enrichment cap, United Nations nuclear watchdog confirms
- International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have verified that Tehran is enriching uranium above 3.67 per cent, the UN body said
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Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency “on 8 July verified that Iran is enriching uranium above 3.67 per cent U-235”, the IAEA said in a statement.
The announcement came hours after Tehran said it exceeded the agreed cap and reached 4.5 per cent enrichment in response to the United States withdrawing from the deal.
Iran announced on May 8 that it no longer considered itself bound to keep to limits of stocks of heavy water and enriched uranium agreed as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The move came a year after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark accord between world powers and Tehran, which says it has lost patience with perceived inaction by the remaining European partners.
Tehran is now pushing those remaining signatories to keep their promise to help Iran work around biting sanctions reimposed by the US in the second half of last year.
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The deal allowed Iran to only enrich uranium to 3.67 per cent – sufficient for power generation but far below the more than 90 per cent required for a nuclear warhead.
Iranian officials have hinted they may go up to 5 per cent, the level needed to produce fuel for Iran’s only nuclear power station.
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Earlier this month the IAEA confirmed that Iran had slightly exceeded the deal’s 300kg (660 pound) limit on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium.
The IAEA has scheduled a special meeting on Iran’s nuclear programme at its Vienna headquarters for Wednesday.
