BLUF
The US Secretary of State has warned that if Iran doesn’t resume compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal, it could amass enough material for a nuclear weapon within weeks.
Summary
As the world waits to see if Iran is ready to resume compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a dire warning. Mr Blinken said that if Tehran continued to violate the 2015 nuclear deal, the ‘breakout time’ needed to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon would shrink to months, perhaps even weeks. Meanwhile, Mr Blinken said Iran’s nuclear program was ‘galloping forward’.
The US and Iran began indirect talks in April to discuss resuming compliance with the 2015 pact, where Tehran agreed to restrain its nuclear program in return for relief from international sanctions. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018, claiming it didn’t do enough to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. In response, the Iranian authorities loosened restrictions on their nuclear program imposed by the deal.
References
- Jan 2021 ABC News France says Iran is building nuclear weapons capacity, urgent to revive 2015 deal
- Feb 2021 ABC News Iran strikes deal with UN nuclear watchdog to allow temporary access to program
- Apr 2021 ABC News Iran will enrich uranium up to 60 per cent. Here's why experts say it's part of a dangerous tit-for-tat with Israel