Iran says Nuclear Deal remains “possible” as latest technical advances still “reversible”
Within a mere months ago there were high hopes that Iran and global signatories to the 2015 JCPOA were wrapping up a restored nuclear deal. There was even talk that a finalized agreement was ‘imminent’ – but now just weeks after some of these optimistic headlines at a moment Washington scrambles to tap more global oil supply amid efforts to punish Russia with Europe’s partial oil embargo, a ‘fatal blow’ may have been struck.
At the moment, Iran and the West appear more distrustful of each other than ever, and the Vienna process is already appearing like a distant memory, with Iran’s foreign ministry now affirming that the Islamic Republic has significantly furthered measures in breach of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
There’s consensus among Iran watchers in the West that the country currently has enriched enough uranium of to 60% purity to be able to shortly bring it up to weapons-grade levels of 90% if Tehran chose to do so. 90% purity must be attained to produce a nuclear weapon. Experts say Iran likely is close enough to produce one bomb in a short time frame if it set out.
Despite these developments, Iran says it has not given up, with a fresh Monday statement from its foreign ministry emphasizing all measures it’s thus far taken to roll back commitments based on the original deal are “reversible”.
“If the agreement is finalized in Vienna tomorrow, all the measures carried out by Iran are technically reversible,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
