The IAEA reports that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now beyond the agreed limit.
About 5 years ago, Iran entered into a long-term agreement with a number of countries including the U.S, and some other powerful countries on its nuclear programme.
The deal became successful after years of disagreement about Iran’s suspected ambition of making nuclear weapons. Iran repeatedly promised her nuclear program was to be used for peaceful purposes, although the international community considered that untrue.
Under the agreement, Iran promised to minimize sensitive nuclear activities and allow international observers to come for inspection as a pre-condition for the cancellation of heavy economic sanctions imposed on Iran.
According to the BBC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms that contrary to the 2015 agreement, Iran has not allowed inspectors access to two nuclear sites for over four months.
It is widely assumed that the activities had taken place before Iran agreed to place a limit on her nuclear program in 2015.
The IAEA reports that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now beyond the agreed limit.
The discovery, available in two unpublished reports, is billed to be discussed by the agency by the middle of June.
The report comes at a time tensions are flaring between the US and Iran. The U.S recently decided not to be a party to the 2015 international agreement.
Also, the Rush Hour Daily reports that Iran has consistently refuted claims that she is secretly planning to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that her nuclear programmes are to be strictly used for peaceful purposes.
In a new report, the Vienna-based agency emphatically asserts that its personnel have not been allowed to access two nuclear sites in Iran.
Also according to AFP News Agency, the nuclear watchdog suspects that one of the nuclear sites might have been used for the processing of uranium ore in 2003.
Although the Agency did not state the identity of the three sites, it noted that a third site with a likely presence of undisclosed quantity of uranium went through extensive sanitization and leveling both in 2003 and 2004.
The BBC’s Paul Adams critically studies the recent developments behind the US-Iran rift. He said a separate report confirms that Iran possessed 1,571.6kgof minimally-enriched uranium as of May 20, which is over 5 times beyond the recommended 300kg limit.
The highest level of enrichment in Iran’s stockpile is 4.5%, violating the 3.67% limit. It is still, however, below the level needed for the creation of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.
Also, a diplomatic source told AFP that since the IAEA’s earlier report in March, Iran’s rate of enrichment has not significantly changed.
The agency noted that despite challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, it still has access to all nuclear sites needed to monitor Iran’s current nuclear activity.
WSJ Magazine confirms that the nuclear agreement was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US and some other countries. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to minimize her nuclear activity in return for the lifting off of sanctions.
Although the agreement made room for Iran to stockpile small amounts of uranium for the purpose of research, it outlawed the enrichment of uranium, which could be used to produce reactor fuel and also nuclear weapons.
Iran was also required to do a redesign of a heavy-water reactor whose used up fuel would have some plutonium content, good for a bomb, and to give room for international inspections.
The nuclear agreement of 2015 was praised as historic, but in May 2018, President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with the deal, which he regarded as flawed, and went ahead to impose new sanctions again.
In May, the US slammed sanctions on Iran and said she would try influencing all nations to prevent them from buying Iranian oil and put pressure on Iran to discuss a newer nuclear deal.
Since sanctions were increased, Iran has been consistently violating some of commitments to influence the other signatories to devise a means for providing sanctions relief.
In January, powerful countries from Europe ignited an official dispute mechanism over Iran’s violation of the deal, a step that could lead to its end.
