Iran acknowledged on Monday that it had broken the limit set on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by the 2015 nuclear deal, marking its first major departure from the unraveling agreement a year after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the accord. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, declined to say on July 1 whether Iran had broken through the limit. “Our inspectors are on the ground and they will report to headquarters as soon as the [low-enriched uranium] stockpile has been verified,” the agency said. Breaking the stockpile limit by itself doesn’t radically change the one year experts say Iran would need to have enough material for an atomic bomb, if it to chooses to pursue one. Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran agreed to have less than 300 kilograms of uranium enriched to a maximum of 3.67%.

Source: The Hindu July 01, 2019 13:41 UTC