A report by the UN’s Nuclear Watchdog said Iran still produces the Uranium metal used in manufacturing nuclear bombs.
The German, French and British Foreign Ministries expressed serious concern on Thursday over the recent report
This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna confirmed Tehran’s production of 20%-enriched uranium for the first time.
It has also increased the production capacity of enriched uranium by 60%.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) bans producing Uranium metal.
The purpose of the plan is to prevent Tehran from manufacturing a nuclear bomb.
In exchange, the plan provides the country with economic benefits.
Political Complications with Iran
The western members of the JCPOA, Germany, France and Britain, called Iran’s moves a serious violation of its obligations.
“Both are key steps in the development of a nuclear weapon, and it has no credible civilian need for either measure,” they said.
However, Tehran says the Uranium is for a civilian nuclear program and it’s not interested in making a bomb.
“Our concerns are deep, as Iran has limited IAEA access through withdrawing from the JCPOA arrangements,” the joint statement added.
The United States withdrew from the nuclear deal unilaterally in 2018, as then-President Donald Trump said renegotiations were necessary.
Afterward, Tehran has been regularly increasing its violations of the deal.
This pressures other signatories and provides more incentives for Iran to offset US sanctions re-imposed after the latter’s withdrawal.
Western European countries, as well as Russia and China, have been trying to maintain the agreement.
The US President, Joe Biden, said he is willing to re-enter the deal only if Iran returns to its restrictions.
However, Tehran insisted that the United States must remove all sanctions.
Earlier this week, the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “the move was unconstructive and inconsistent with a return to mutual compliance.”
In the statement on Thursday, the three western European countries said Iran’s activities are becoming more worrisome.
This is due to Tehran’s request to delay the talks for two months now, with no sign of any resumption.
“While refusing to negotiate, Iran is establishing facts on the ground, which complicates the return to JCPOA,” the statement said.
