Iran says it will break uranium stockpile limit set by nuclear deal

Iran said Monday that it will break the uranium stockpile limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal in the next 10 days.

The Atomic Energy Organisation made the announcement at the Arak heavy water nuclear facility. Its spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, also said that Iran had already quadrupled its low-enriched nuclear output, the official state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Since the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal one year ago, Iran has pushed the limits of breaching the agreement with world powers. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union remain committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

In May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani set a 60-day deadline for the powers to set new terms for the nuclear deal, including easing restrictions on Iran’s banking and oil sectors. Iran threatened that if the world powers failed to meet the deadline, it would remove caps on uranium enrichment levels and resume work at Arak.

Renovations have been completed on the Arak heavy water plant, which allows it to increase its capacity. In the next stage of nuclear technology development, Iran will use the extra heavy water, IRNA reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called on the international community to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

“Israel stands at the forefront with the U.S., with moderate Arab countries and with other countries, in opposition to the Iranian aggression. Today Iran threatened to enrich uranium to higher levels beyond that which is permitted by the nuclear agreement,” he said.

“Should Iran make good on its current threats, and violate the nuclear agreement, the international community needs to immediately impose the sanctions regime that was agreed upon in advance, the ‘snapback sanctions.’

In any case, Israel will not allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons.”

Sheila Gewolb, Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “We are deeply concerned that the Iranian regime has announced it will breach the limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium, set under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. World powers must use every possible measure to prevent the spectre of Iranian nuclear armament. As it stands, Iran already acts as a destabilising influence in the region, taking British civilians hostage, abusing the human rights of its citizens and arming state and non-state actors, such as Syria and Hezbollah, to commit acts of violence against civilians. It would be all the more dangerous with a nuclear weapon. The UK and other world powers must take decisive steps to bring an end to Iran’s military nuclear capabilities and its financing of global terrorism.”