By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TEHRAN, Iran-In accordance with an agreement created last fall, Iran has diluted half of its stockpile of twenty percent enriched uranium. A UN report is set to be released this week, confirming the dilution.
The dilution presents a significant step forward in complying with Western efforts to reduce Iran’s nuclear program as peacefully as possible. As such, world powers are upholding their side of the bargain by releasing the fifth of eighth tranches of finances, a huge relief for the Islamic Republic.
The short-term deal between Iran and the P5+1 world powers was reached last November, at a time when the Islamic Republic was producing 181 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium. This amount was nearly enough to create one nuclear warhead that would have only taking Iran only two months to create.
Not surprisingly, Iran’s twenty percent enriched uranium stores has been a huge concern for Western and Arab governments. The interim Geneva solution will expire on July 20, unless all parties agree to a longstanding comprehensive nuclear stalemate.
If no agreement is met or negotiations don’t continue, Iran would enter August with the ability to manufacture high-grade stockpile in less than a year. Further, Iran has also been producing “highly advantaged centrifuges” which have the ability to bypass the key thresholds and create weapons-grade material from uranium with lower than ten percent enrichment.
Iran further denies any interest in atomic arms. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported a delay in Iran’s construction of plants designed to turn low-enriched uranium gas into useless oxide powder. Tehran told the IAEA last month that the site would be commissioned on April 9th but has failed to give a legitimate reason for why it has yet to be constructed.
Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, however, is optimistic that a deal will be reached in three months or less. “There is a political will to get an answer. The domestic audience will be satisfied if we have a good deal. Of course some people will never be satisfied but that is fine because we have a pluralistic society,” stated Zarif.
However, there are numerous criticisms of the interim agreement. Those opposing have said that Iran has had difficulty receiving billions of dollars from oil revenue unfrozen the agreement. Meanwhile, Iran’s Gulf neighbors expressed alarm this week over growing signs of support from Iran for Assad’s military.
For more information, please see the following:
Al Jazeera-Iran cuts sensitive nuclear stockpile-17 April 2014
Jerusalem Post-Iran on target with interim nuclear deal: Cuts high-grade uranium stockpile in half-16 April 2014
Reuters-Iran cuts sensitive nuclear stockpile, key plant delayed: IAEA-16 April 2014
Tehran Times-Iran has significantly reduced stockpile of higher-grade enriched uranium-16 April 2014
