BICOM

Iran formally announced yesterday that it is violating the terms of the JCPOA nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the country now has more than 300kg of low-enriched uranium, surpassing the JCPOA’s limit. Zarif also said Iran will move to exceed the uranium enrichment restriction of 3.67 per cent.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had breached the 300kg cap. An IAEA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano has informed the Board of Governors that the Agency verified on 1 July that Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile exceeded [the deal’s limit].”

Zarif denied allegations that Iran was in violation of the JCPOA nuclear deal. He said Iran was exercising its right to respond to the US withdrawal from the agreement last year, after which Washington reimposed punishing sanctions on Tehran. “Paragraph 36 of the accord illustrates why. We triggered & exhausted para 36 after US withdrawal. We gave E3+2 [UK, Germany, France, Russia and China] a few weeks while reserving our right. We finally took action after 60 weeks. As soon as E3 abide by their obligations, we’ll reverse,” Zarif tweeted.

The White House said in a statement: “It was a mistake under the Iran nuclear deal to allow Iran to enrich uranium at any level. There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms. We must restore the longstanding non-proliferation standard of no enrichment for Iran.” The US added that it will continue its policy of maximum pressure on Iran until “its leaders alter their course of action”.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted that he was “deeply worried” that Iran had violated its obligations but said the UK remained committed to the nuclear agreement and deescalating regional tensions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s move was a “significant step toward making a nuclear weapon”.

He added: “When we exposed the secret Iranian nuclear archive, we proved that any nuclear agreement with Iran is built on one big lie. Now even Iran acknowledges this. Soon will be revealed additional proof that Iran has been lying this whole time.”