US, EU voice dismay as Iran begins making enriched uranium metal

VIENNA/WASHINGTON • Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, the UN atomic watchdog said, a move that could help it develop a nuclear weapon and that three European powers said threatened talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Iran's moves, which were disclosed by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday and which Teheran said aimed to develop fuel for a research reactor, also drew criticism from the United States, which called them an "unfortunate step backwards".

US and European officials made clear that Iran's decision would complicate, and potentially torpedo, indirect US-Iranian talks seeking to bring both nations back into compliance with the 2015 deal, which was abandoned by former president Donald Trump.

Teheran has already produced a small amount of uranium metal this year that was not enriched. That is a breach of the deal, which bans all work on uranium metal since it can be used to make the core of a nuclear bomb.

"Today, Iran informed the Agency that UO2 (uranium oxide) enriched up to 20 per cent U-235 would be shipped to the R&D laboratory at the Fuel Fabrication Plant in Esfahan, where it would be converted to UF4 (uranium tetrafluoride) and then to uranium metal enriched to 20 per cent U-235, before using it to manufacture the fuel," an IAEA statement said.

A confidential IAEA report seen by Reuters said the agency had confirmed that Iran had taken steps to begin the process of producing enriched uranium metal. Britain, France and Germany said on Tuesday they had "grave concern" about Iran's decision, which violates the nuclear deal, formally named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Mr Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador to the IAEA, noted the agency's report on Iran's latest violation of the 2015 deal as well as the Biden administration's decision to maintain the Iran sanctions reimposed by Mr Trump, also violations of the accord. "The only way out of this vicious circle is resumption of #ViennaTalks without delay and full restoration of #JCPOA," he wrote on Twitter.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 08, 2021, with the headline US, EU voice dismay as Iran begins making enriched uranium metal. Subscribe