Fox News has reported that Iran has violated a term of the nuclear deal regarding the country’s heavy water stockpile limit. The information was confirmed in a confidential report by the United Nations’ atomic watchdog on Wednesday which was the same day that Iran demanded the U.S. sticks to the nuclear deal.
The Associated Press saw the report just after the announcement that Donald Trump won the U.S. election when the Iranian regime warned the U.S. about honouring their side of the deal. Trump had previously said that the nuclear agreement was “the worst deal ever negotiated”.
Fox News pointed out that the agreement allows for up to 143.3 tons of heavy water and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report stated that Iran had 0.10 metric tons more than this limit. Their investigators stated that this was the second time Iran has went over the limit. The first time was in February this year.
Heavy water is a specific proliferation concern as it is the material that is used in reactors that can make large amounts of plutonium, making this a potential path to nuclear weapons.
The IAEA report said that Tehran has expressed the intention to export 5.5 tons elsewhere meaning that the limit will be respected. However, it is unknown where the excess will be sent to.
The State Department has said that it is possible for Trump to scrap the deal. If Trump did go ahead and do this, is it likely to annoy the other European nations that have already started doing business with Iran.
Fox news added: “Meanwhile, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces criticized Trump for the president-elect’s harsh words about confronting Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.” He said that the candidates running for the U.S. presidency “eat too much sugar” (alluding to a Farsi proverb about people who talk nonsense).
In September, Trump said that if Iran’s ships provoke U.S. ships they will be shot out of the water. At the beginning of the year, 10 American soldiers were taken prisoner by Iran when their ship veered into Iranian waters, but they were released the next day.
