UN watchdog in crisis talks as Iran boosts nuclear fuel

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iran's nuclear technology organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi during the "nuclear technology day" in Tehran in April. (HO / Iranian Presidency / AFP)
  • Regime must be held accountable, says US
  • Iran has breached the limit of 300kg for stockpiles of enriched uranium

TEHRAN/VIENNA: The UN鈥檚 atomic watchdog has called an emergency crisis meeting to discuss Iran鈥檚 growing expansion of its nuclear program.

Tehran has already breached the 300 kg limit for stockpiles of enriched uranium under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and a senior aide to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened on Saturday to further boost its uranium enrichment.

The process 鈥渨ill increase as much as needed for our peaceful activities,鈥� international affairs adviser Ali Akbar Velayati said. 鈥淔or the Bushehr nuclear reactor we need 5 percent enrichment.鈥�

The 2015 deal capped Iran鈥檚 enrichment maximum at 3.67 percent, sufficient for power generation but far below the 90 percent level required for a nuclear weapon.

Bushehr, Iran鈥檚 only nuclear power station, currently runs on imported fuel from Russia that is closely monitored by the UN鈥檚 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Increasing enrichment closer to weapons-grade was 鈥渦nanimously agreed upon by every component of the establishment,鈥� Velayati said.

鈥淲e will show reaction exponentially as much as they violate it. We reduce our commitments as much as they reduce it. If they go back to fulfilling their commitments, we will do so as well.鈥�

HIGHLIGHT

Analysts say Iran鈥檚 breaches so far mean little in terms of developing a nuclear weapon, but are 鈥榥uclear blackmail鈥� to pressure the other signatories to the JCPOA into helping Iran to avoid US economic sanctions.

The emergency meeting of the IAEA鈥檚 board of governors on Wednesday was requested by Ambassador Jackie Wolcott, the US representative to the IAEA and other international organizations in Vienna.

The US mission in Vienna described as 鈥渃oncerning鈥� the IAEA鈥檚 latest report on Iran鈥檚 compliance with the JCPOA, confirming that Tehran had exceeded the permitted stockpile of enriched uranium.

鈥淭he international community must hold Iran鈥檚 regime accountable,鈥� the US mission said.

Analysts say Iran鈥檚 breaches so far mean little in terms of developing a nuclear weapon, but are 鈥渘uclear blackmail鈥� to pressure the other signatories to the JCPOA into helping Iran to avoid US economic sanctions.

However, a larger stockpile of enriched uranium combined with increased enrichment levels narrows the one-year window experts believe Iran would need to have enough material to build a nuclear bomb if it chose to do so.

鈥淭his would be a very worrisome step that could substantially shorten the time Iran would need to produce the material needed for nuclear weapons,鈥� said Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies鈥� James Marin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

鈥淏oth Iran and the Trump administration should be looking for ways to de-escalate the crisis, rather than exacerbate it.鈥�