On Thursday, the United States, France, Germany, and Britain denounced Iran’s increase in producing highly enriched uranium up to 60% purity, which is almost the same level as fuel for nuclear weapons.
The allies said they were “committed to a diplomatic solution” to the conflict over Tehran’s nuclear programme in a joint statement, but they did not address any potential repercussions Iran might face for increasing production. Instead, they called for the production to be reversed.
“The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification,” the statement said. “These decisions … represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.”
Tensions in the region have sharply increased since Israel began its offensive against the Hamas militants who rule Gaza. Iran-backed proxies have increased their attacks on Red Sea shipping as well as on American troops stationed in Iraq and Syria.
Iran has resumed producing highly enriched uranium up to 60% purity, according to a report released on Tuesday by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog. The slowdown had been in place for several months. The IAEA’s theoretical definition states that Tehran already possesses enough 60% pure uranium, if enriched to 90%, to produce three nuclear bombs.
The joint statement stated, “We condemn this action, which adds to the unabated escalation of Iran’s nuclear programme.”
Iran declared on Wednesday that it was conducting its programme “according to the rules” and rejected the IAEA report as “nothing new.” Iran has said it does not want nuclear weapons.
The 2015 agreement aimed at stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons still includes participation from Britain, France, and Germany. When former US President Donald Trump broke the agreement in 2018, Iran began to gradually loosen its restrictions.
