WASHINGTON • President Donald Trump has accused Iran of secretly enriching uranium for a long time and warned that US sanctions would be increased soon, as the United Nations nuclear watchdog held an emergency meeting on Teheran's breach of a nuclear deal.
"Iran has long been secretly 'enriching', in total violation of the terrible 150 billion dollar deal made by John Kerry and the Obama administration. Remember, that deal was to expire in a short number of years. Sanctions will soon be increased, substantially!" Mr Trump said yesterday on Twitter.
The United States used an emergency meeting of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board yesterday to ramp up pressure on Iran over breaches of the 2015 international nuclear deal.
Teheran announced on Monday that it had surpassed 4.5 per cent uranium enrichment - above the 3.67 per cent limit under the accord - though still far below the 90 per cent necessary for military purposes.
President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that Iran's measures were within the framework of the deal, which Mr Trump pulled the US out of last year.
Washington, meanwhile, is set on isolating Teheran to force it to negotiate over the nuclear pact, its missile programme and its actions in the region.
The US, however, received pushback yesterday from Russia, China and Europe, all of whom blame the Trump administration for a crisis that could escalate into war.
"Iran's current nuclear posture is clearly aimed at escalating tensions rather than defusing them, and underscores the serious challenges Iran continues to pose to international peace and security," US Ambassador to the IAEA Jackie Wolcott told the meeting.
While the State Department sought to marshal support for its "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, other diplomats criticised Mr Trump for withdrawing from the accord and reimposing sanctions on vast swathes of the oil exporter's economy.
With accusations flying, the get-together exposed the growing international discord over how to contain a diplomatic crisis that has disrupted shipping and threatened to escalate into a new war in the world's largest oil-producing region.
"IAEA reported that new level of enrichment in Iran increased to 4.5 per cent," tweeted Russia's IAEA Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov before the meeting. "This is low enriched uranium that has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. Any member of IAEA may stockpile it without limits. Being under strict international control, it constitutes no proliferation risk."
France, Germany and Britain issued a joint statement on the eve of the meeting, saying that while they were concerned about Iran's violations, it was the job of the remaining participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - as the nuclear accord is known - to mediate disputes.
The European Union hammered home that message yesterday, saying it was also keen to facilitate trade with Iran.
"The EU deeply regrets the US withdrawal and calls on all countries to refrain from taking any actions that impede the implementation of the JCPOA commitments," it said.
The IAEA meeting is taking place as French President Emmanuel Macron's top diplomatic adviser visits Iran for discussions, seeking to persuade the Islamic Republic to reverse course.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
