Iran to increase enriched uranium stockpile

Iran's enriched uranium stockpile to surpass 300 kg from June 27: AEOI spokesman

Press TV,

17 June, 2019

Tehran has said it may go even further by July 8 unless remaining partners to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- help it circumvent US sanctions and especially enable it to sell its oil.

Kamalvandi said there is still time for European countries to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the nuclear deal is officially known. 

"Iran's reserves are every day increasing at a more rapid rate. And if it is important for them (Europe) to safeguard the accord, they should make their best efforts... As soon as they carry out their commitments, things will naturally go back to their original state."

Nevertheless, Kamalvandi sounded downbeat, saying "the Europeans have expressed indirectly their inability to act." 

“There is still time for European countries, but if they want more time it means that they either can’t or don’t want to honor their obligations,” he said. 

"They should not think that after 60 days (deadline set in May by Iran), they will have another 60-day opportunity," the official added.  

Heavy water stocks set to exceed 130-tonne limit 

The spokesman took dozens of domestic and foreign reporters for a tour of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility in Khondab region in central Iran, 190 km south of Tehran.

Under the JCPOA, Iran is permitted to keep up to 130 tonnes of heavy water at present and up to 90 tonnes once its redesigned and rebuilt Arak reactor is commissioned.

PressTV-Iran, China sign agreement to redesign Arak reactor

Iran and China sign the final version of a contract to redesign and modernize the Arak heavy water reactor in central Iran.

The US Department of Energy bought several batches of heavy water from Iran, but President Donald Trump halted the purchases and ordered other countries to follow suit after he reimposed sanctions on Tehran. 

Kamalvandi said, "In the mind of Trump, if one does not buy heavy water from us, the facility will automatically shut down, but this is not the case because we have both domestic and [foreign] market utilization."

Iran expects its heavy water stockpile also to surpass 130 tonnes in the next two and half months if "no new market" is available, the official said. The country, he said, may convert its surplus heavy water to better value-added products.  

"Although we do not want to abandon the commitments we have made in the past and give up the markets we have found, it's possible that with the stocks exceeding 130 tonnes, we may not export them as raw material and instead export them with added value.


Iranian Prof.- Why Would Iran Attack Tankers in the Gulf of Oman?!

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"The Countdown Has 

Begun:" Iran Warns It Will 

Breach Uranium Stockpile 

Limits In 10 Days


ZeroHedge,
17 June, 2019


Iran certainly isn't planning on backing down in the face of Washington's accusations about the country's role in last week's tanker bombings, and as a result, the possibility of a boots-on-the-ground military conflict in the Islamic Republic cannot yet be ruled out. Making an already tense situation infinitely more precarious, Iran on Monday reminded the world that it's preparing to violate the terms of the Iran deal during the next ten days.

 

By increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium, Iran is bound to elicit accusations that it's once again working on a nuclear bomb.

Tehran has always maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but American neocons like John Bolton have warned that this was merely a ruse, and that Iran could target American allies like Israel with a missile.

The Iranian government announced on Monday that it was set to breach the cap on enriched uranium, unless Europe finds a way to trade with Iran, or otherwise fulfill its financial obligations made under the deal.

European officials have been somewhat more skeptical of Iran's role in last week's tanker attacks, though many have acknowledged that if this were to be true, it could seriously complicate efforts to preserve the nuclear deal. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who visited Tehran last week, said Germany is still looking at evidence on whether Iran was responsible for last week’s attacks. Meanwhile, the UK has decided to deploy 100 Elite Royal Marines to the region to serve as a "rapid reaction force" to protect British assets.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesperson for the Iranian atomic energy agency, said Iran has "already increased" uranium production at a nuclear research site in Natanz in the central Isfahan province, according to RT.

"From today, the countdown has begun, and by June 27, our uranium production will have surpassed 300kg," Kamalvandi said.

Last month, Tehran announced that it would partially suspend its commitments under the JCPOA, giving the EU 60 days to reaffirm its commitment to the deal. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kamalvandi criticized the EU, saying that the bloc "either do not want to do something, or they just don’t have the ability to do it," but he added that "Europeans still have time" to save the deal