Iran Effectively Withdraws from Nuclear Deal After 4 Years

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 5th (local time), the Iranian government announced that it would no longer abide by the freeze and restriction regulations on its nuclear program set forth in the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). This is interpreted as a de facto withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.

The nuclear agreement, reached in July 2015 between the six major countries (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) and Iran, is now on the brink of collapse after four and a half years due to the withdrawal of the two main negotiating parties, the United States and Iran.

In a statement released that day, the Iranian government said, "Iran will no longer abide by the limit on the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment set by the nuclear agreement," adding, "This means that there will be no restrictions on uranium enrichment capacity and concentration."

Currently, Iran's uranium enrichment level is at 5% concentration.

Iran's state broadcaster reported, "Iran is now free from any restrictions on operating its nuclear program."

The nuclear agreement limited the number and performance of centrifuges Iran could possess for uranium enrichment. This was to prevent the production of highly enriched uranium necessary for nuclear weapons or to extend the breakout time?the time from deciding to manufacture a nuclear weapon to possessing it?thereby preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since the key to manufacturing nuclear weapons lies in enriching uranium to over 90% concentration, the core of the nuclear agreement was to limit Iran's uranium enrichment capability by restricting the performance and number of centrifuges for a certain period.

The Iranian government declared, "The limit on the number of centrifuges was the last key part of the nuclear agreement that Iran was currently abiding by," and "We are abandoning this."

Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that this reduction in compliance with the nuclear agreement is the fifth and effectively the final stage.

The Iranian government took this very tough measure, effectively withdrawing from the nuclear agreement, as Europe remained lukewarm about compliance and following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a prominent figure in the Iranian military and commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, by the U.S. military.

The nuclear agreement had detailed provisions freezing and limiting Iran's nuclear program, allowing Iran to reduce compliance in more detailed stages, but Soleimani's death appears to have accelerated the process to the "final stage."

On this day, the Iranian government added the condition that it would return to the nuclear agreement if the U.S. lifts economic and financial sanctions against Iran, but since the U.S. is very unlikely to abandon sanctions on Iran, the nuclear agreement is expected to no longer be valid.

After the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement on May 8, 2018, Iran complied with the agreement for one year, but when even Europe effectively failed to comply, Iran reduced its level of compliance in four stages at 60-day intervals starting May 8 last year.

On May 8 last year, as the first stage of reducing compliance with the nuclear agreement, Iran declared and implemented exceeding the storage limits for enriched uranium (202.8 kg in uranium isotope terms, 300 kg in uranium hexafluoride terms) and heavy water.

Sixty days after the first stage, on July 7 last year, Iran announced the second stage, enriching uranium beyond the concentration limit (3.67%), and the next day raised the enrichment level to 4.5%.

On September 6, Iran initiated the third stage, violating the research and development provisions related to centrifuges restricted by the nuclear agreement, and on November 6, in the fourth stage, resumed enrichment activities by injecting uranium hexafluoride gas, which was prohibited under the nuclear agreement, into centrifuges at the Fordow enrichment facility.

Iran demanded that Europe resume imports of Iranian crude oil and financial transactions as promised in the nuclear agreement, but Europe did not comply due to U.S. sanctions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.