European powers warn Iran over enriched uranium metal production

 

United Nation’s nuclear watchdog announced that the Iran has taken steps to enrich uranium metal to a 20 per cent purity and manufacture nuclear reactor fuel. They are using indigenously-produced uranium to supply the Tehran Research Reactor, but the U.S. and allied nations have called the move "worrying." Ned Price, who is a US Department spokesperson said it was another unfortunate step backwards as the U.S. has engaged in indirect talks on nuclear nonproliferation with Iran since April. He further added that this move will not give Iran any leverage as the U.S. seeks to re-establish a nuclear agreement with the Middle Eastern nation.

As per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,  Iran is not permitted to enrich uranium past a 3.67 percent purity threshold . Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2018 from this Joint Plan stating Iran’s inability to maintain transparent system. The value was at 3. 67 per cent only as it is all that is needed to power a commercial-grade power plant, according to the Arms Control Association.

But International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi mentioned that Iran had breached the regulation. Iran informed the Agency that UO2 [uranium dioxide] enriched up to 20 percent U–235 would be shipped to the R&D laboratory at the Fuel Fabrication Plant in Esfahan, where it would be converted to UF4 [Uranium tetrafluoride] and then to uranium metal-enriched to 20% U–235, before using it to manufacture the fuel. This Uranium-235 can be used for nuclear weapons and this poses a big concern for the Western nations. 

There are no set plans for direct talks between the U.S. and Iran. Price said the U.S. is not pushing Iran on a hard deadline when it comes to the negotiating table but said the administration is continuing to assess the situation.