Six years after the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord, Tehran is rapidly accumulating enriched uranium, some of it very close to weapons grade. Experts fear that a bomb could be a short dash away.
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Tehran’s move to enrich uranium above purity level allowed under 2015 pact challenges Europe’s commitment to saving deal.
The United Nations atomic agency confirmed that Iran is enriching uranium at levels that breach the 2015 nuclear agreement, leaving France, Britain and Germany with delicate decisions in the coming days over how to respond. Iran started enriching uranium at 4.5% on Monday morning, a spokesman for the country’s atomic energy agency said earlier, according to state media.
On Monday, European officials—who are under pressure from Washington to respond to Iran’s actions—said they are in discussions with Russia and China and indicated no action was likely at least until July 15, when European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels to talk about Iran and other issues. For the Europeans, the path ahead is diplomatically treacherous. They have been unable to act effectively to help curb the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran. That has persuaded Tehran to gradually raise the pressure by cutting back adherence to the deal in a phased and clearly communicated manner.
France, Britain and Germany are under growing pressure from Washington to isolate Tehran.
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