JCPOA Concern Over Nuclear Enrichment Purity

Mohammed Eslami head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said today: 'The Islamic Republic will continue enriching uranium to up to 20 percent purity if a deal is reached in Vienna.'

• Eslami: 'Enrichment continues with a maximum ceiling of 60%, which led Westerners to rush to negotiations and it will continue with the lifting of sanctions by both 20% and 5%.'
• Lawrence Norman of the Wall Street Journal quotes a source in Vienna explaining that if Iran enriches uranium to this level it '....would not be a return to the JCPOA.'
• Normal clarified: 'I specifically asked [the source] could there be an understanding that Iran enriches to 20% and immediately downblends? Answer. That wouldn’t be a return to JCPOA. So no ambiguity here.'
• The 2015 JCPOA put a 3.67% cap enrichment and Iran is currently enriching at 60% putting Iran close to acquiring weapons grade material.
• Latest roadblock comes as concern deepens in the US over the optics of an Iranian deal brokered by a Russian team.
• Michael Doran of the Hudson Institute wrote this morning: ‘It will be uplifting to see Lavrov next to Blinken at the closing ceremony of JCPOA 2.0. Kudos to Team Biden for not letting this little disagreement over Ukraine get in the way of building a harmonious relationship with Russia, China, and Iran!’