Ahead of U.S. nuke deal deadline, Iran threatens to renew enrichment

Iran will be able to restore its halted uranium enrichment process in a matter of hours and produce enriched uranium stockpiles in less than two days if the nuclear deal is discarded, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi warned Monday according to Iranian Fars News Agency. Kamalvandi explained that there are currently 1,600 centrifuges at the Fordow reactor, spinning idly, that could be used for enrichment. 'This is possible in 4 days and we are even able to fulfill the job in two days,' he is quoted as saying. On Sunday, Iranian Vice President and Head of the AEOI Ali Akbar Salehi made similar comments on state-run TV, saying Iran would be able to restore its Fordow nuclear facility and produce 20% enriched Uranium within 4 days. 'If senior Islamic Republic officials issue an order to resume the 20% enrichment, we can do it in Fordow within 4 days,' Salehi is quoted as saying by Fars News, adding that Iran is even capable of making progress beyond previous levels and develop more extensive nuclear activities. 'We are like an army: we need to be prepared. As soon as the commander orders move, our supplies, bullets and guns and everything is ready.' The Iranian vice president, who himself is a nuclear physicist, emphasized that the potential return to pre-JCPOA activities was not a 'political bluff' and that the situation was indeed very serious, according to Tehran Times. It would be disgraceful for Europe to give into US pressure, he added. “If Europe gives into the U.S., it means that Europe is not independent… and this is disgraceful for the European countries.” President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television that Tehran's response would be stronger than Trump thinks if he pulls out of the nuclear deal with Iran. “Iran will not violate the nuclear deal, but if the United States withdraws from the deal, they will surely regret it. Our response will be stronger than what they imagine and they would see that within a week.” Rouhani, who was speaking as Tehran marked National Nuclear Technology Day, added that Iran has been preparing for every possible scenario, including a JCPOA without the United States - which would still include European signatories, China and Russia - or no deal at all. The comments out of Tehran came as the deadline of May 12 for the overhaul of the nuclear agreement set by United States President Donald Trump is approaching rapidly. On January 12, Trump issued a statement in which he gave Europeans 120 days to agree to changes made to nuclear agreement, threatening that if his revisions were rejected, he would scrap the deal altogether. Based on the nuclear agreement, Iran nuclear program was limited in exchange for the lifting of economic and financial sanctions. Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, signed the deal which went into effect on January 16, 2016.

Ahead of U.S. nuke deal deadline, Iran threatens to renew enrichment

"We are like an army: we need to be prepared. As soon as the commander orders move, our supplies, bullets and guns and everything is ready."

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