Rouhani: Iran Can Enrich Uranium to the 90% Needed for Weapons

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country is capable of enriching uranium to 90%, the level needed to fuel a nuclear weapon, if it chooses too. Rouhani, whose term expires next month, made the statement on Wednesday, in remarks made at a Cabinet meeting that were carried by state news agencies. In the same remarks, however, he called for a return to the 2015 nuclear deal, which offers a rollback on crippling sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program.

The moderate Rouhani reportedly has been working to seal the nuclear deal before his successor, Ebrahim Raisi, considered a hard-liner, takes office.  A sixth round of negotiations in Vienna to finalize the deal ended last month and a new round has not yet been scheduled.

Iran has been enriching uranium to some 60%, much higher than the 3.67% allowed under the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran has been breaching the deal since the US left it in 2018, though it has been more public about it in recent months.