Tehran said it has streamlined its ability to produce enriched uranium on the anniversary of the 1979 US hostage crisis. The head of Iran's nuclear program said it shows the country's "capacity and determination."
Iranian officials on Monday said the country has doubled the number of advanced centrifuges in operation in clear violation of the 2015 nuclear deal.
"Today, we are witnessing the launch of the array of 30 IR-6 centrifuges," said Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.
That brings the number of IR-6 centrifuges up to 60. The centrifuges allow Iran to produce enriched uranium 10 times faster than the first generation models.
Salehi also said Iran had developed a prototype centrifuge that would allow it to develop enriched uranium up to 50 times faster. He said the development of IR-9 shows Iran's "capacity and determination."
The announcement comes as Iran commemorates the 40th anniversary of the 1979 US embassy hostage crisis that lasted 444 days.
Last year, the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, once considered a diplomatic masterpiece. The accord provided a framework in which Iran would end its nuclear program in exchange for the international community dropping paralyzing sanctions.
EU member states, including Germany and France, have urged Iran to stick to the deal despite the US withdrawal. But Tehran has eroded the deal by steadily violating parts of the accord.
Speaking in Hungary on Monday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Iran's decision to develop methods to enrich uranium more quickly jeopardizes the nuclear agreement.
"They announced in early September that they would not comply with the nuclear accord and we think that is unacceptable," Maas said through an interpreter.
Meanwhile, the US, which restored sanctions after withdrawing from the agreement, imposed more sanctions on Monday, the US Treasury Department said. The sanctions are against nine members Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's inner circle, including his chief of staff and one of his sons, and one entity tied to Iran.
Iran's foreign ministry said the new US sanctions are a sign of its bullying approach.
"These types of sanctions are only a sign of the desperation and inability of this regime in benefiting from a diplomatic and logical approach, which can be seen in the framework of the bullying view of the United States toward other countries and important global and international issues," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said., according to the state-run IRNA news network.
A year after Donald Trump pulled the US from the international nuclear accord with Iran, the Middle East nation announced it would no longer adhere to some "voluntary commitments" in the accord.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/D. Calma
The deal breaker
President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that he was pulling the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing that the international accord was not in America's "national interest." The decision threw a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the nuclear accord and raised tensions with US allies in Europe.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Slap in the face
Britain, France and Germany lobbied the Trump administration and Congress to remain in the nuclear accord, arguing that the deal was working and a US violation without a follow up plan would be destabilizing. In European capitals, the Trump administration's withdrawal was viewed as a slap in the face of allies.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Iran scrap 'voluntary commitments'
A year to the day after Trump's announcement, Iran informed the other signatories of the accord that they would no longer adhere to certain "voluntary commitments." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the signatory nations had 60 days to implement promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors or Iran would resume the enrichment of uranium.
The decision came after the United States deployed an aircraft, the USS Lincoln, along with a bomber task force to the Middle East. Washington said the deployment was intended as a "clear unmistakable message." Iran said it took action because the European Union and others "did not have the power to resist US pressure."
Image: AP
A triumph of diplomacy
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 by United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain (P5+1) and Iran following years of negotiations. Under the international agreement, Iran agreed to dismantle its nuclear program and be subject to monitoring in exchange for the lifting of international nuclear related sanctions.
Image: picture alliance / landov
Compliance and verification
The JCPOA includes a robust monitoring, verification and inspection regime carried out by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN watch dog has verified Iran's compliance with the deal in 12 quarterly reports. The JCPOA allows Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program for commercial, medical and industrial purposes in line with international non-proliferation standards.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Schlager
Obama's achievement
The Iran nuclear deal was President Barack Obama's signature foreign policy achievement. Seeking to undo nearly every Obama administration legacy, Trump came into office calling it the "worst deal ever." The Trump administration argues the nuclear deal doesn't address other unrelated issues such as Iran's ballistic missiles, regional influence, support for "terrorist" groups and human rights.
Image: Reuters/Y. Gripas
Iranians approved
The nuclear deal and lifting of punishing nuclear related international sanctions created optimism in Iran after years of economic isolation. However, even before Trump pulled the US out of the deal, Tehran blamed the US for holding back international investment and not fulfilling its end of the bargain due to the uncertainty created by Trump's threats.
Image: picture alliance/AA/F. Bahrami
The opponents
After eight years with Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found the US president he wanted in Donald Trump. The Israeli leader repeatedly slammed the deal despite his own military and intelligence chiefs' assessment the that JCPOA, while not perfect, was working and should be maintained. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the other main opponents of the nuclear deal.
Image: Reuters/R. Zvulun
Who's left?
The EU-3 (Britain, France, Germany) have scrambled to ensure that Iran receives the economic benefits it was promised in order to avoid Tehran pulling out of the deal. As EU businesses face retaliation from the US for doing business with Iran, many are opting to avoid Iran. This would likely be a present to Chinese and Russian businesses.
