- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Iran Backs Down on Uranium Enrichment

Iran has recanted its demand to continue its uranium enrichment program. The decision salvages a deal it made with France, Germany and the United Kingdom and will prevent the issue of the Iranian nuclear program from being referred to the United Nations where it faced possible sanctions.

An agreement had been reached on November 15, in which Iran would freeze all of its uranium enrichment, conversion and reprocessing activities. In return, Iran would receive a series of unknown incentives from the Europeans.

But the Iranian insistence that it retain several centrifuges used for uranium enrichment had threatened the deal which had to close prior to Monday’s meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to prevent passage of a strong resolution and U.N. involvement.

The IAEA is now expected to certify that Iran has frozen its nuclear program as defined by the European agreement. The United States, however, believes that notwithstanding the Iranian pledge, it is continuing clandestine work on enrichment that can be used for peaceful applications or for the construction of nuclear weapons.