If talks to rescue the nuclear deal fail Iran will ramp up its civilian nuclear program to a level more advanced than before the accord was signed in 2015, a senior official said on Monday.
Iran will demonstrate the important achievements it has made in the nuclear field over the past several years if the remaining parties to the nuclear agreement renege on their pledges like the United States did, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi told reporters following a visit to the Fordow nuclear facility near the central city of Qom, ISNA reported.
"They will see that [Iranian scientists] will go miles beyond where we were before the JCPOA in a short period of time and will help the country's nuclear industry reach a significant point," he said, using the abbreviation for the deal's official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Desperate Efforts
The minister said Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers undermines international law, adding that Iran’s resolve will not be weakened by the "desperate attempts” of a hostile power.
"The departure of one participant or others from the JCPOA will not sap our will and determination, and as the Leader said, Iran's enrichment capacity should reach 190,000 SWUs within the framework of the JCPOA."
Alavi was referring to recent remarks by Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in which he instructed the relevant officials to prepare for enrichment of uranium up to a level of 190,000 SWUs—or separative work units—within the framework of the nuclear accord.
Enrichment Capacity
SWUs are a measure of uranium enrichment capacity. Under the 2015 nuclear accord, Tehran is permitted to increase its enrichment efficiency by the end of the next decade just before the deal is set to expire. But speeding up preparations now could allow Iran to ramp up production more quickly after that date.
Under an October 2015 law to implement the nuclear deal, Iran reserves the right to rapidly expand its uranium enrichment capacity to 190,000 SWUs within two years if sanctions are restored.
Hanging by a Thread
"Those who breached their promise will realize that walking away from the deal will harm their interests more than Iran," Alavi said, adding that the non-US parties have been told in clear terms that the JCPOA is "hanging by a thread".
The intelligence minister visited the Fordow plant along with Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and was briefed on preparations for the rise to 190,000 SWUs. He is scheduled to visit other nuclear facilities in the country.
Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation and medical treatment and denies any plan to build nuclear weapons.
