2023-12-28 21:51:28
New tensions on the Iranian nuclear issue pit Tehran against Washington and its European allies. The United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany condemned Thursday, December 28, the acceleration of the production of highly enriched uranium by Iran, revealed in a report published Tuesday by the International Nuclear Agency. Atomic Energy (IAEA).
“We condemn this measure which further aggravates the continued escalation of the Iranian nuclear program”they said in a joint declaration, believing that “Iran’s production of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification”.
According to the UN agency, Iran has “increased its production of highly enriched uranium in recent weeks, after having slowed the pace since mid-2023”.
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“These facts constitute a step in the wrong direction on the part of Iran, resulting in the tripling of its monthly production of uranium enriched to 60%”denounce in their press release Washington, Paris, Berlin and London, who are worried about “significant risks of proliferation”.
“Nothing new” according to Iran
“These decisions demonstrate Iran’s lack of desire to engage in de-escalation in good faith and reflect irresponsible behavior in a regional context of tension”they add, calling on Tehran to “cooperate fully with the IAEA”.
Iran, for its part, affirmed on Wednesday that there was no ” nothing new “ in the IAEA report. “We produced the same [taux] 60% enrichment. We haven’t changed anything and we haven’t developed any new capabilities.”said the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (OIEA), Mohammad Eslami, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.
Iran is now enriching at levels far from the ceiling set at 3.67% by the 2015 international agreement governing Tehran’s atomic activities, and is approaching the 90% necessary to produce an atomic bomb. However, he denies wanting to acquire nuclear weapons.
The slowdown in the rate of production to 60%, noted by the IAEA a few months ago, was seen by experts as a gesture while talks had resumed with the United States. The Iranian nuclear deal was shattered following Washington’s withdrawal in 2018, decided by then US President Donald Trump. His successor, Joe Biden, tried to revive him during discussions in Vienna, but they have been at a standstill since the summer of 2022. However, animosity has risen a notch in recent months with the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas, which Washington and Tehran mutually accuse each other of aggravating.
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