BICOM

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran has exceeded the permitted quantity of heavy water, as specified under last year’s nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany).

According to AP and Reuters, the IAEA report says that Iran possesses 130.1 tonnes of heavy water. The agreement stipulates a strict limit of 130 tonnes. Reuters says that IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano “expressed concerns related to Iran’s stock of heavy water to the Vice President of Iran”. There are also reports that Iran shipped five tonnes of heavy water out of the country to a secret location.

Under last year’s nuclear deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear development for at least ten years in return for sanctions relief. This is the second time since the deal came into effect in January that Iran has exceeded the permitted heavy water limits. In February, Tehran shipped an unspecified amount of heavy water abroad, in order to comply with the terms of the deal.

Responding to the IAEA report, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: “It’s important to note that Iran made no effort to hide this, hide what it was doing from the IAEA.”

The election of Donald Trump yesterday has brought the Iran nuclear deal sharply into focus. The US President-elect  has vocally opposed the agreement. He described it as “the worst deal ever negotiated” and pledged in March that his “number one priority” would be to “dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran”.

Following Trump’s victory, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani told his cabinet yesterday that the agreement, which was signed by Iran and six other states, “was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government”.