(Foundation for Defense of Democracies) Andrea Stricker and Brig.-Gen. (res.) Jacob Nagel - Tehran's latest breaches of the 2015 nuclear deal involve potential nuclear weapons technologies. These activities provide Iran gains in knowledge that are irreversible. The IAEA reported that Iran had "dissolved six unirradiated scrap fuel plates" containing near-20% enriched uranium. Under the JCPOA, Iran is prohibited from recovering this uranium from these components. Another breach, in February 2021, involves the production of uranium metal, used for making cores of atomic weapons. In March, the IAEA was prepared to issue a report detailing Iran's non-compliance with the IAEA's investigation into undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, but the Biden administration halted its release. It is time for the Biden administration to recognize that the JCPOA did not deal with Iran's ability to dial up its nuclear provocations at will, and that underpinning Iran's nuclear program is an ongoing readiness to make nuclear weapons. Andrea Stricker is a research fellow at FDD, where former head of Israel's National Security Council Jacob Nagel is a senior fellow.
2021-04-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive