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Iranian nuclear: 5 minutes to understand the issues around enriched uranium stocks

2022-05-31T13:26:59.680Z


The nuclear policeman accuses Iran of possessing 18 times more enriched uranium than authorized. Iran, which is keeping up the pressure, denounces a


A report that implicates Iran.

This Monday, the International Nuclear Agency (IAEA), nuclear watchdog under the aegis of the United Nations (UN), estimated that Iran had stocks of enriched uranium 18 times higher than the limits imposed by the Vienna agreement (JCPoA).

This agreement, signed in 2015 by Iran, the United States and five other states, including France, plans to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

What do the documents say?

According to the IAEA report, according to mid-May estimates, Tehran increased its total reserves to 3809.3 kg, against 3197.1 kg in February, far from the ceiling of 202.8 kilos (or 300 kilos equivalent UF6) to which he had committed.

In detail, Iran has 43.1 kg of 60% enriched uranium against 33.2 kg previously.

Note that 90% uranium enrichment is required for military use.

“It is a logical consequence of the United States leaving the Vienna agreement.

Iran is freeing itself from the limits of the agreement, ”underlines Thierry Coville, researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) and specialist in Iran.

Concerning uranium bid at 20%, a rate which makes it possible to produce medical isotopes, in particular used in the diagnosis of certain cancers, Iran has increased its stock of enriched material to 238.4 kg, against 182.1 kg previously .

In another document, the IAEA claims not to have received "satisfactory answers" concerning the sites of Marivan (in the west of the country), Varamin and Turquzabad (both located in the region of the capital Tehran).

Traces of enriched uranium were found within these three sites, which were not declared to the IAEA.

"Which is mandatory", comments Thierry Coville.

What is Iran's reaction?

For its part, Iran judged that the assertions of the IAEA about undeclared nuclear sites were “neither balanced” nor “fair”.

The IAEA claims that Iran speaks of a "sabotage by a third party" of these sites, without Tehran having "provided any proof".

“We fear that the pressure exerted by the Zionist regime (Israel, editor's note) and other actors will push the agency to turn its technical reports into political reports,” said Saïd Khatibzadeh.

Charges "not surprising" for the expert who recalls that Israel, sworn enemy of Iran was against the 2015 agreement.

For its part, the Jewish state accuses Tehran of having “stolen confidential documents from the IAEA” and of using them “to systematically evade inspections”.

Iran stole classified documents from the UN's Atomic Agency @IAEAorg and used that information to systematically evade nuclear probes.



How do we know?


Because we got our hands on Iran's deception plan.



It's right here:https://t.co/qg1Fj7iClA pic.twitter.com/6dAhI6VmmW

— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) May 31, 2022

Foreign Ministry spokesman Said Khatibzadeh said "the IAEA report does not [reflect] the reality of negotiations between Iran" and the nuclear watchdog.

For Thierry Coville, it goes even further: “it's a balance of power, everything is linked.

If ever there is a Tehran-Washington deal, Iran and the IAEA will also find common ground.”

Where are the negotiations on the Vienna agreement?

These discussions between Iran and the IAEA are taking place in parallel with a resumption of debates around the Vienna agreement.

"The negotiations resumed in November 2021, they were progressing quite well," says the Iran specialist.

An agreement was even very close last March, prompting the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell to speak of a “matter of days”.

But according to Thierry Coville, only one sticking point remains: the question of the Pasdarans, an Iranian paramilitary organization.

Today, the IRGC is placed on the US list of terrorist organizations.

“The United States refuses to remove them from its list of terrorist organizations because they expect more guarantees from Iran, particularly around its regional policy”.

“Recall that Iran fully respected the Vienna agreement before the unilateral exit of the United States in May 2018”, assures the expert.

At that time, Donald Trump, then President of the United States, decided to leave a pact that he considered "disastrous".

For his part, the current White House tenant Joe Biden wants to save the Vienna agreement, questioning the policy of his predecessor.

Can Iran have the nuclear bomb?

To produce the nuclear bomb, it is necessary to enrich the uranium to 90%, a rate which is, for the time being, not reached in Iran.

"Tehran has moved to 60% enrichment," explains Thierry Coville.

"But what is worrying is that Iran is increasingly mastering the technologies needed to manufacture nuclear weapons."

"It's their negotiating tool," adds the specialist.

Tehran would therefore use the nuclear program as a means of pressure, in order, in particular, that the United States lift their sanctions which weigh on Iran.

Sanctions that have a strong impact on the economy of the country chaired by the ultraconservative Ebrahim Raïssi.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2022-05-31

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