Iran breaches uranium stockpile limit set in 2015 – Foreign Minister
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Iran’s foreign minister said it has breached the limit of its enriched uranium stockpile set in a 2015 deal with major powers. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif making the announcement on Monday.
The story was in the air earlier today, as two sources told Reuters on Monday, defying a warning by European co-signatories to stick to the deal despite U.S. sanctions.
One told Iran’s Fars news agency that the International Atomic Energy Agency had measured the stockpile on Monday. The watchdog said its inspectors were on the ground and would file a report.
Iran stepped up production of enriched uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel and potentially nuclear weapons, in response to reinstated US sanctions.
The deal limited Iran to 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 3.67%.
IRNA reported that Zarif, answering a reporter’s question about whether Iran had broken the limit, said: “Yes.”
The report did not elaborate.
This represents the first time Iran has broken one of the limits set by the accord. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal last year and restored heavy economic sanctions on Iran, which recently said it would back away from its commitments if the deal is not renegotiated.
European nations have warned that any violation will bring consequences.
