Zarif: Iran’s Enriched Uranium Stocks Exceed 300kg

By Staff- Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that his country has increased the level of its low-enriched uranium production to over 300 kilograms as had been already announced by the country in line with Articles 26 and 36 of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA].

Zarif made the remarks on Monday while answering a question by Iran's ISNA news agency on the sidelines of a ceremony in the central Iranian city of Natanz.

“According to my information, Iran has surpassed the 300kg limit [in producing low-enriched uranium] and we had already announced [that we were planning to do] this,” Iran's top diplomat said.

He further added, “According to what has been announced, we have said very clearly what we are doing and consider this as part of our rights as per the JCPOA.”

Iran's foreign minister also highlighted that the country had already announced that if steps taken by Europeans to compensate any possible losses to Iran following unilateral withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA were not adequate, it would take steps to reduce its commitments in return.

“We already announced that measures taken by Europeans have not been sufficient, and as the Islamic Republic had announced, we will implement the second stage of reducing our commitments. The first stage is going on both with regard to [the enriched] uranium stocks and heavy water stocks, and the next stage has been announced and will be implemented,” Tasnim news agency quoted Zarif as saying.

Meanwhile, the IRIB news agency also quoted Zarif as saying that the second stage is about the enrichment level, which currently stands at 3.67 percent.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.