Iran has breached another term of the nuclear deal, which the U.S. abandoned last year, announcing Tuesday that it will be injecting uranium gas into 1,044 previously empty centrifuges.
“Resistance lays the ground for negotiation, and negotiation takes advantage of resistance,” Rouhani said in his announcement.
“We are aware of their sensitiveness toward the Fordo facility and those centrifuges,” he continued.“At the same time, we cannot tolerate unilateral fulfillment of our commitments and no commitment from their side.”
Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran was only allowed to operate approximately 5,000 first-generation centrifuges, “widely seen as antiquated and breakdown-prone,” Reuters reports.
The new IR-6 machines can refine uranium 10 times faster, said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
“Today, we are witnessing the launch of the cascade (operating set) of 30 IR-6 centrifuges,” Salehi told state television. “Iran now is operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. It shows our capacity and determination.
“Our scientists are working on a prototype called the IR-9 that works 50 times faster than the IR-1s.” (Reuters)
The move has been called a "significant breach" of the accord, with U.S. officials saying there is "no credible reason" for expansion of the nuclear program.
Not sure the Iranians could have chosen a more provocative violation of the JCPOA. Totally unacceptable. US withdrawal from JCPOA, lack of international unity, and Iran’s belief in no US response has accelerated us to this point. https://t.co/HjQ3Asqniy
— Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) November 5, 2019
Why it matters: This is a substantial breach of the 2015 nuclear deal by Iran. In the nuclear deal Iran committed to stop enrichment at Fordow and turn the facility to a reaserach center. This is the 1st time since the nuclear deal the Iranians are resuming enrichment at Fordow
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 5, 2019