From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Iran abandons limits on uranium enrichment
Iranian state TV, citing a statement by President Hassan Rouhani’s administration, says the country will not observe limitations on uranium enrichment, the amount of stockpiled enriched uranium as well as research and development in its nuclear activities.
The announcement means Tehran will no longer abide by any of the limits of its unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after a US airstrike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad on Friday.
Iran does not elaborate on what levels it would immediately reach in its program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations watchdog observing Iran’s program, does not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Iran says its cooperation with the IAEA “will continue as before.”
Iranian officials planned to meet Sunday night to discuss taking a fifth step away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, one that could be even greater than planned, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told journalists earlier today.
Iran previously has broken limits of its enrichment, its stockpiles and its centrifuges, as well as restarted enrichment at an underground facility after the US withdrew from the 2015 accord last year.
— AP
The Times of Israel Community.