Iran threat to resume uranium enrichment ‘in 5 days’ if US quits nuclear deal
(VOVWORLD) - Iran’s atomic chief warned on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic needs only five days to ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent, a level at which the material could be used for a nuclear weapon.
Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Reuters
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The comments by Ali Akbar Salehi to Iranian state television come as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated threats to renegotiate or walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal. Salehi’s warning, along with recent comments by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, show Iran is willing to push back against Trump while still acknowledging they want to retain the deal, which lifted crippling economic sanctions on the country.
Iran gave up the majority of its 20-percent enriched uranium stockpile as part of the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, including Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama. The accord, which lifted sanctions on Iran, currently caps the Islamic Republic uranium enrichment at 5 percent.