UN inspectors measured enriched uranium stockpile, confirms limit permitted under deal breached; Iranian FM confirms reports, Zarif: We have clearly said what we will do, and we will act accordingly.
Iran confirmed it officially violated conditions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, nuclear deal) on Monday. According to numerous sources from Iran’s Fars, UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors measured and confirmed Iran surpassed the 300 kilograms (661 lbs.) of its enriched uranium stockpile permitted under the deal.
A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Seyyed Mousavi, confirmed the reports Monday morning, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later reporting, “Based on what I have been told, Iran has exceeded the 300 kg limit in accordance with its plan… We have clearly said what we will do, and we will act accordingly. We deem it as part of our rights under the JCPOA.”
It is the first direct breach of the 2015 nuclear deal confirmed by Iran, which has threatened to violate the agreement further until a solution is found to US sanctions. In May, Iran stopped some of its obligations under the nuclear deal, mainly its heavy water production and uranium enrichment at both the Natanz and Arak plants. In less than two weeks following, it announced it had quadrupled its uranium enrichment production capacity.
Highly purified enriched uranium can be used to create a nuclear weapon, and heavy water can be used for nuclear reactors. Iran continues to claim its nuclear research and progress are for scientific research, while simultaneously building up its missile program and openly threatening Israel and the United States. It also falsely maintains the advances in its missile program are solely for defense purposes.
