Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile has passed the 300-kilogram limit under its nuclear deal, an unnamed source familiar with the matter told Fars on Monday.
The news comes after the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on June 26, the country’s stockpile of the 3.67%-enriched uranium would surpass 300 kg in a ten-day period from June 27.
The Iranian officials have said in recent days that the Islamic Republic is on track to pass the enriched uranium limit, which was set under its nuclear deal after remaining signatories to the pact failed to meet Tehran’s demands to be shielded from US sanctions.
“This is based on the Articles 26 and 36 of the (nuclear deal), and will be reversed once other parties live up to their commitments,” Kamalvandi said on June 26.
Iran may also increase uranium enrichment to up to 20 percent for use in local reactors, he said. The 2015 nuclear accord caps the level of purity to which Iran can enrich uranium at 3.67%.
“One scenario is that we will define 3.67 for the Bushehr power station, which needs 5 percent [enriched uranium] or if we define for the needs of the Tehran Research Reactor, it will be 20 percent. Various scenarios have been envisaged.”
Back in May, Iran scaled back some commitments under the deal and warned that in 60 days it would resume refining uranium to a higher fissile degree if Europe failed to shield its trade from US sanctions.
President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran would stop observing restrictions on its stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water agreed under the nuclear deal.
Tehran has said it may go even further by July 8 unless remaining partners to the deal — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia help it circumvent US sanctions and especially enable it to sell its oil.
