Iran has begun work on uranium-metal-based fuel for a research reactor, the nuclear watchdog of the DA and Tehran said Wednesday, in the latest breach of its nuclear deal with six major powers as the country pushes for lift U.S. sanctions.
The agreement specifically bans Iran for 15 years from making or obtaining uranium metal, a sensitive material that can be used in the heart of a nuclear bomb.
Iran’s nuclear facility at Natanz in Isfahan
(Photo: EPA )
Iran has accelerated its breach of contract in the past two months. Some of these measures were needed by a law passed in response to the killing of its chief nuclear scientist in November, which Tehran has blamed the Israeli arch-enemy.
They are also, however, part of a process that Tehran began in 2019 of making breaches in response to the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump from the treaty and the re-establishment of control- U.S. bonds that lifted the agreement in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activity.
The moves raise pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden, who takes office next week and has pledged to return the United States to the treaty if Iran resumes full surrender. Iran wants Washington to lift sanctions first.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visits one of the country’s nuclear sites
(Photo: AFP)
“(International Atomic Energy Organization) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today briefed IAEA Member States on recent developments regarding Iran’s plans to conduct R&D activities on uranium metal production as part of their stated goal to type design improved fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, “the IAEA said in a statement.
The group issues ad hoc reports to member states when Iran violates a new breach of the treaty, even though it refuses to call them a breach, leaving that call to parties to an agreement. 2015.
Iranian Atomic Energy Agency President Ali-Akbar Salehi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi
(Photo: Reuters)
The IAEA secret report to member states, obtained by Reuters, said that Iran had announced its intention to extract uranium metal from natural uranium and then to produce uranium metal that is enriched up to 20% for fuel for Tehran Research Reactor.
The agreement also states that this can only happen in small glasses and in consultation with parties to the treaty after 10 years.
Separately Iran also plans to enrich uranium to 20%, a level it finally reached before the 2015 contract, at its Fordow site buried in a mountain, and began that process the last week. So far it had not gone as far as 4.5%, above the 3.67% limit imposed by the contract but still far shorter than the 90% at the arms level.
Fordow nuclear facility at Iran
(Photo: AFP)
U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe Iran had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons program that it halted in 2003. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its goals with nuclear energy are completely peaceful.
However, Iran told the agency on Wednesday that “its R&D activities are unrestricted” and that the Center has “modified and installed the appropriate equipment to initiate the R&D activities already announced” Construction of their Fuel Plate in Isfahan, the IAEA report said.