Iran Has Passed A New Law On Uranium Enrichment After The Killing Of Nuclear Scientist
Image Credit – Times Of India
Iran has just passed a new law to boost uranium enrichment after the killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist.
The Guardian Council watchdog body has approved a new law on Wednesday that made the Government halt the UN inspection of nuclear sites. The goal is to step up the uranium enrichment beyond the limit which was set under Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal.
Last week Iran’s top nuclear scientist was killed and Tehran blamed it on Israel. In retaliation, the hard-line dominated parliament approved the bill with a strong majority on Tuesday. The law will harden Iran’s nuclear stance on a whole new level.
The Guardian Council ensures draft laws that do not contradict Iran’s constitution or Shi’ite Islamic laws. However, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last word on all matters of the state. His stance is not known yet.
According to a semi-official Iranian news agency, “Today in a letter, the parliament speaker officially asked the president to implement the new law.”
Under this new law, Tehran would like to offer two months to the European parties to ease the sanctions on the oil and financial sectors. The deal was imposed after Washington DC quit the pact between Tehran and six powers in the year 2018.
Iran reduced compliance with the deal in reaction to President Donald Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ policy on Tehran.
US President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20 is looking forward to rejoining the agreement. The law which is pushed by the hard-line lawmakers will make it a little harder for Biden.
Biden said he would reciprocate with Tehran and return to the pact and also would lift the sanctions if Iran returns to “strict compliance with the nuclear deal”.
Ariane Tabatabai, a middle east researcher at the German Marshall Fund and Columbia University, tweeted “There is now more pressure on (President Hassan) Rouhani’s Government to secure an Us return to the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) quickly”.
The Iranian architect of the 2015 deal, Rouhani criticized parliament’s decision as “harmful to diplomatic efforts” aiming at easing the US sanctions.
Due to the new law, the Iranian government should be able to resume uranium enrichment to 20% and install some advanced centrifuges at the renowned nuclear facilities of Natanz and Fordow.
Iran can refine uranium at 3.67% which is far below 20%, which is achieved before the deal and also below the weapons-grade level at 90%. Iran breached the cap in 2019 and the uranium enrichment level has remained steady at 4.5% since then.
Britain, France, Germany, and all the parties have urged Iran to respect the 2015 deal.
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