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Speaking on Tuesday, Iran’s nuclear Chief Ali Akbar Salehi, who also serves as the Vice President to President Hassan Rohani, called the United States a would be looser if Iran and other signatories to the agreement (European Union, China, United Kingdom, and Russia) can keep the agreement alive despite U.S. exit and sanctions on Iran. He added that even if the deal doesn’t survive, Iran will be in a much stronger position.
In 2015, Iran was able to get into a nuclear deal with six world powers including the United States that saw significant sanctions removal on Iran. Under it, Iran agreed to store its excess centrifuges at its underground Natanz enrichment facility under constant surveillance by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran can use 5,060 older-model IR-1 centrifuges at Natanz, but only to enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent. That low-level enrichment means the uranium can be used to fuel a civilian reactor. Iran also can possess no more than 300 kilograms of that uranium. That’s compared to the 100,000 kilograms (220,460 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium it once had.
However, President Trump followed through his election promise and announced U.S. exit earlier this year. Since August, the United States has re-imposed sanctions on Iran; a part of which went live beginning August targeting Iran’s access to USD and payment channels and the rest would go live by November and would specifically target Iran’s oil exports and banking systems. Currently, the EU signatories (France and Germany) are working to safeguard the deal by the creation of a new banking and payment system that will not be under the influence of USD. The EU recently granted Iran, a €18 million aid package to counter impacts of U.S. sanctions. The future of the deal still remains in uncertain waters as Iran has threatened to exit the agreement if it is no longer economically beneficial and called on the EU to guarantee Iran’s oil revenue.
Salehi explained that even if the deal fails to survive, Iran stands ready to build a facility at Natanz with more advanced centrifuges. For now, the nuclear accord limits Iran to using a limited number of an older model, called IR-1s. The new facility will allow it to build advanced versions called the IR-2M, IR-4, and IR-6. The IR-2M and the IR-4 can enrich uranium five times faster than an IR-1, while the IR-6 can do it 10 times faster.
Salehi expressed his confidence that Iran can withstand U.S. economic pressure just like it has done in the past.
