The UN nuclear watchdog is calling for countries to come back to the deal amid a heavy increase in enriched uranium; The Islamic Republic is also threatening to expel the IAEA if sanctions are not lifted by February.
As the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to violate the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran Nuclear Deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is urging that the necessary countries come back to the table. The JCPOA was implemented under the Obama administration, and undoubtedly further enabled the Iranian regime to enhance its nuclear agenda.
The regime is now threatening to expel the IAEA in February if the current sanctions are not withdrawn by February 21st. This caused IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to say that decisions need to be made in the next couple of weeks by the countries involved.
A member of Iran’s Parliament, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, stated in reference to a law passed in November, “According to the law, if the Americans do not lift financial, banking and oil sanctions by Feb. 21, we will definitely expel the IAEA inspectors from the country and will definitely end the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol.”
Under the Trump administration, the US withdrew from the JCPOA in May of 2018 and reinstituted former sanctions that had been lifted, followed by several other significant economic sanctions as well. The decision for the withdrawal came amid several existing violations of the deal. Ever since the US made its decision, the Iranian regime has publicly announced its ongoing violations.
Most recently, the regime announced that it has increased the level of uranium enrichment from under 4% to 20%. The JCPOA terms allow for 3.67%.
