US Seeks to Force Iran to Stop Enriching Uranium
The United States acted on Friday to force Iran to
stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant
even as it granted waivers allowing some countries to conduct civilian nuclear
cooperation with the country.
In line with the 2015 nuclear deal, which was
negotiated under former president Barack Obama and still enjoys strong support
among European powers, Iran was limited to keeping 300 kilograms of uranium
enriched up to 3.67 percent -- far below the level needed to build nuclear
weapons.
As part of the agreement, Iran was to sell any
enriched uranium above that threshold on international markets in return for
natural uranium, with Russia a key player.
But in Friday's policy change, Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo said the United States would start to impose sanctions on anyone
involved in the trade of natural for enriched uranium -- as well as in the
storage of Iranian heavy water that was in excess of limits.
"The Trump administration continues to hold the
Iranian regime accountable for activities that threaten the region's stability
and harm the Iranian people. This includes denying Iran any pathway to a
nuclear weapon," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.
At the same time, Pompeo renewed waivers of US
sanctions allowing Russia, China and European countries to pursue cooperation
programs designed to prevent Iran from reactivating a defunct nuclear weapons
program.
Facilities in the waiver extensions include the
Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Fordow enrichment facility, the Arak nuclear
complex and the Tehran Research Reactor, the State Department said.
But, it said, the renewable waivers would be granted
only for 90 days, a shorter period than the previous 180 days.
The moves are part of the Trump administration's
efforts to impose international political and economic isolation on Tehran that
began with the US withdrawal in May 2018 from the nuclear deal.
It was the third punitive action taken against Iran
in as many weeks. Last week, it said it would grant no more sanctions waivers
for countries buying Iranian oil, accelerating its plan to push Iran's oil
exports to zero.
The Trump administration also took the unprecedented
step of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist
organization.
