On Thursday France, Germany, Britain and the United States condemned Iran’s increased production of highly enriched uranium with a purity of up to 60 per cent, close to the level used to make fuel for nuclear weapons, Reuters reports.
In a joint statement, the allies called on Iran to cancel production and said they remained “committed to a diplomatic solution” to the feud over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The statement said:
The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification. These decisions … represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.
Iranian-backed supporters have stepped up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and on US troops in Iraq and Syria since the Israeli offensive against Hamas began on 7 October, escalating tensions in the region.
On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which oversees the UN nuclear programme, said in a report that Iran had reversed a months-long slowdown in the production of highly enriched uranium of up to 60% purity. The joint statement said:
We condemn this action, which adds to the unabated escalation of Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran on Wednesday said it was conducting its programme “according to the rules” and was not seeking nuclear weapons.
According to the IAEA’s theoretical definition, Tehran already has enough uranium of 60 per cent purity that, if enriched to 90 per cent, could be used to build three nuclear bombs.
Britain, France and Germany remain party to a 2015 deal designed to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, prompting Iran to gradually violate its demands.
