By Oisin Sweeney • Published: 02 Jan 2021 • 10:19
Iran is increasing its uranium purity to 20%, far below the 90% required to build an atomic weapon - Image Source: Twitter
IRAN has announced its plans to enrich its uranium deposits by 20%, in serious breach of a 2015 international deal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the UN’s nuclear watchdog – stated it has received a letter from Iran saying the country will be enriching its uranium to 20% purity. Although this still falls far below the 90% required to build a nuclear weapon, it is in breach of the 5% cap agreed during a 2015 international deal.
Iran began to breach the deal when President Donald Trump pulled the US from the deal and slapped severe sanctions upon the country. However, an international group including the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China have hopes that the deal can be revived.
The Iranian government did not tell the IAEA when they would begin the enrichment process, but a new law will now ban UN inspectors from visiting Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow.
Experts warn that increasing enrichment could speed up the “break out time” to produce a nuclear weapon. The country maintains that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
Hostilities between the US and Iran have caused many analysts to fear for the future stability of one of the world’s most volatile regions.
Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Iran to Increase Uranium Enrichment, Breaching International Deal”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news, and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.
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Oisin is an Irish writer based in Seville, the sunny capital of Andalucia. After starting his working life as a bookseller, he moved into journalism and cut his teeth as a reporter at one of Ireland's biggest news websites. Since joining Euro Weekly News in November, he has enjoyed covering the latest stories from Seville, Spain and further afield - with special interests in crime, cybersecurity, and European politics. Anyone who can pronounce his name first try gets a free cerveza...
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