IAEA: Iran has Accelerated Production of Enriched Uranium
Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that Iran had increased its uranium enrichment activities, but it is not yet clear whether the country is violating the terms of the Iran deal
Dan Arkin
| 11/06/2019
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (Photo: AP)
Iran has followed through on a threat to accelerate its production of enriched uranium, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran was now producing more enriched uranium than before, but it was not clear when it might reach stockpile limits set in the pact.
“Yes, (the) production rate is increasing,” he told a news conference when asked if enriched uranium production had accelerated since the agency’s last quarterly report, which found Iran compliant with the nuclear deal as of May 20. He declined to quantify the increase.
In May, Iran announced the suspension of some of its obligations under the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 with major powers, stating it would quadruple its production of enriched uranium. Amano urged the countries involved in the Iran deal negotiations to continue dialogue with Iran in order to save the nuclear deal and prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons capabilities.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Tehran on Monday as part of intensive European efforts endeavoring to maintain the nuclear deal with world powers and defuse tensions between the Washington and Tehran.
In a joint news conference, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would cooperate with the European Union to save the deal. “Reducing tension is only possible through stopping the economic war by America,” he said.
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the IAEA findings showed “that Iran is going in the wrong direction and it underscores the continuing challenge Iran poses to international peace and security.”
[Sources: Reuters, Middle East Monitor]
Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that Iran had increased its uranium enrichment activities, but it is not yet clear whether the country is violating the terms of the Iran deal
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (Photo: AP)
Iran has followed through on a threat to accelerate its production of enriched uranium, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran was now producing more enriched uranium than before, but it was not clear when it might reach stockpile limits set in the pact.
“Yes, (the) production rate is increasing,” he told a news conference when asked if enriched uranium production had accelerated since the agency’s last quarterly report, which found Iran compliant with the nuclear deal as of May 20. He declined to quantify the increase.
In May, Iran announced the suspension of some of its obligations under the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 with major powers, stating it would quadruple its production of enriched uranium. Amano urged the countries involved in the Iran deal negotiations to continue dialogue with Iran in order to save the nuclear deal and prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons capabilities.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Tehran on Monday as part of intensive European efforts endeavoring to maintain the nuclear deal with world powers and defuse tensions between the Washington and Tehran.
In a joint news conference, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would cooperate with the European Union to save the deal. “Reducing tension is only possible through stopping the economic war by America,” he said.
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the IAEA findings showed “that Iran is going in the wrong direction and it underscores the continuing challenge Iran poses to international peace and security.”
[Sources: Reuters, Middle East Monitor]
