Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Iran threatens end to limits on uranium enrichment

Hassan Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum Wednesday to the remaining signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, vowing to end all limitations on uranium enrichment if its demands are not met.
According to a report by Reuters Wednesday morning, Rouhani said that Iran will ignore the 3.67% maximum enrichment level for uranium, starting next Sunday.
 
“We will increase uranium enrichment beyond 3.67% after July 7,” said Rouhani.
“If remaining signatories of nuclear deal do not fulfil promises then after July 7, the Arak nuclear reactor will return to its previous activities.”
 
The Iranian leader ignored calls by European leaders to “immediately reverse” its “overshoot” on uranium enrichment.
 
"If you want to express regret and issue a statement, you can do it now,” Rouhani said.
Iran must "abstain from any other measure that would undermine its nuclear obligations," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
 
On Monday, Iran announced that it has exceeded the amount of enriched uranium permitted under the 2015 JCPOA, leading US President Donald Trump to warn that Iran is "playing with fire."
 
Later on Monday, Mojtaba Zonnour, Chairman of Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Al-Alam TV that "if the US attacks us, only half an hour will remain of Israel’s lifespan."