Iran's President Unleashes Bold Defense of Uranium Enrichment Amidst European Commitment Crisis

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has justified his country's uranium enrichment to almost weapons-grade levels, citing European states' failure to fulfill their obligations under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

"We did not initially aim for a 60% level of enrichment. European states disregarded their obligations," Raisi explained to CNN's Fareed Zakaria in New York during the UN General Assembly this week. "The Islamic Republic of Iran's decision to enrich uranium to 60% was a response to the signatories' failure to uphold their commitments in the 2015 agreement."

In 2021, Iran disclosed that it had begun enriching uranium to a level of 60% after an assault on its above-ground nuclear facility in Natanz, which Iran attributed to Israel.

The West was alarmed by the move as it reduced Iran's "breakout time" for developing a nuclear weapon, which requires uranium enriched above 90%. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, recently confirmed that Iran is the only country without a nuclear weapon that is enriching uranium to 60% purity. Furthermore, in March, the IAEA reported the discovery of uranium particles enriched to 84% at Iran's Fordow plant.

According to a confidential IAEA report mentioned by Reuters, Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity has continued to grow this month, although at a slower pace compared to the previous quarter.

Nuclear power, which Iran says is the purpose of its nuclear program, requires uranium to be enriched to 3% to 5%.

US citizens Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharqi, and Morad Tahbaz were warmly received upon their arrival at Doha International Airport in Qatar on September 18, 2023. These five US detainees, including Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and Emad Sharqi, as well as two individuals who preferred to remain anonymous, were released by Iran as part of a prisoner exchange. This exchange took place after $6 billion of frozen funds were transferred to Iranian accounts in Qatar. The image of their arrival was captured by photographer Karim Jaafar and obtained from AFP/Getty Images.

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Furthermore, there is apprehension that a lack of control over Iran's nuclear program may trigger increased nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Speaking on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed that if Iran possesses a nuclear weapon, "we must obtain one."

Raisi dismissed allegations that Iran's increased enrichment was for the purpose of developing a nuclear weapon. In an interview with CNN, he stated, "We have officially declared that our actions do not aim to possess any form of nuclear weapons or any military intentions. Instead, this is a response to the Europeans' lack of commitment." Raisi further restated Tehran's longstanding position that they have no plans to obtain a nuclear bomb.

The 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), limited Iran's nuclear program and was signed by Iran, the United States, and the European Union, among others. In exchange for sanctions relief, Iran agreed to cap its uranium enrichment at 3.67%.

However, in 2018, the US, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal and imposed a series of sanctions aimed at weakening Iran's economy. Since 2021, the JCPOA signatories have been trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiation table. Although talks have been held on and off, an agreement has not been reached thus far.

The US withdrawal from the deal had a significant impact on European trade with Iran, causing around 80% of Europe's trade with Iran to vanish abruptly, according to Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group think tank. Vaez informed CNN that despite the Europeans making numerous grand promises to Iran in 2018, none of them were fulfilled.

Tit for tat

Iran's contention is that since the US pulled out, the remaining signatories of the JCPOA have likewise neglected their obligations and, instead, opted to enforce sanctions on Tehran.

The Iranian president assured CNN that if Europeans fulfill their commitments, the Islamic Republic will also fully adhere to its own commitments, just as it has done in the past. Tehran is currently expressing frustration with increasing Western sanctions and the reluctance of the UK, France, and Germany (known as the E3) to lift sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's missile, nuclear, and other weapons programs, which were supposed to be lifted next month as per the 2015 nuclear agreement.

This month, the E3 announced their decision to refrain from lifting sanctions on Iran's missile programs as planned. Instead, they opted to incorporate these sanctions into their domestic laws. They justified this move by citing Iran's ongoing non-compliance with their JCPOA commitments and nuclear escalation. The Iranian foreign ministry criticized this decision, labeling it as "illegal" and accusing the E3 of deliberately exacerbating tensions in bad faith, as per Iranian media sources.

Iran has recently restricted the access of multiple UN inspectors to its nuclear program, as stated by the IAEA. This has resulted in the removal of approximately one third of the agency's most skilled inspectors assigned for Iran.

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Raisi clarified that Iran's intention is not to prevent the IAEA from conducting inspections, but rather, Tehran has removed designations of inspectors from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, along with the United States. These countries were accused by Iran of failing to fulfill their commitments under the 2015 deal.

"Iran has not stated that we do not want any inspectors here," Raisi stated to CNN. He explained, "What we have expressed regarding these three countries, as indicated by the IAEA, is that we have specific concerns about individuals from these countries," further emphasizing that "their trust is now in doubt."

The three European countries and the US issued a joint statement on Monday, urging Iran to immediately reverse its decision and "fully cooperate with the Agency." According to Vaez of Crisis Group, the European signatories to the JCPOA have significantly eroded their credibility among Iranians. He mentioned that Iranians perceive them as making excessive promises that are not fulfilled. This perception is shared by both hardline and moderate politicians, including Raisi.

Vaez stated that there is now an agreement between Iran and the United States, which has led to a decrease in Iran's nuclear program. Europe did not play a part in this agreement. In a positive diplomatic development, Iran recently freed five American prisoners through mediation by Qatar. As part of the deal, around $6 billion of Iranian funds were unfrozen and five Iranian prisoners were also released in the United States.

The deal was a sign of what analysts described as a method of unwritten arrangements between Washington and Tehran, with smaller exchanged concessions in lieu of a wider, formal agreement.