Iran violates nuclear deal, exceeds 300 kg limit on enriched uranium

Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile exceeded the 300 kg limit set by the nuclear deal on Monday, according to the Iranian Fars news agency. This constitutes a direction violation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear pact the world superpowers reached with Iran in 2015.

An Iranian source told Fars on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency found that the enriched uranium exceeded the ceiling of 300 kg.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that the Islamic Republic breached the nuclear deal by stockpiling over 300 kg of enriched uranium, according to ISNA.

Under the deal, Iran was prohibited from accumulating more than 300 kilograms of enriched uranium to the 3.67% level and from enriching uranium beyond that level, such as to the 20% level it had done before the deal.

“We are aware of the media reports related to Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium (LEU),” an International Atomic Energy Agency spokesman said, according to Reuters. “Our inspectors are on the ground and they will report to headquarters as soon as the LEU stockpile has been verified.”

“We told the Europeans that if more practical, more thorough and complete steps were taken, the measures taken to reduce Iran’s commitments could be reversed, otherwise we will continue,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said in response to the announcement.