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Iran faces choice between nuclear bomb and economic survival

Nuclear Program Materials 8 June 2023 14:27 (UTC +04:00)
Iran faces choice between nuclear bomb and economic survival
Elnur Baghishov
Elnur Baghishov
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 8. Iran's nuclear program is one of the main issues that have recently remained relevant in the world media.

Iran's nuclear program is literally one of the problems that make this country, more precisely, the Mullah regime, a headache. Iran announces to the world that its nuclear program is "peaceful". At all levels, Iran says the atomic bomb has "no place" in its military and defense doctrine.

Can a peaceful nuclear program include enriching uranium at a high level and keeping that uranium hidden from relevant international organizations within the country for any purpose other than military?

According to the information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has increased the amount of highly enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and currently, the country's enriched uranium reserves are 4,745 kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In recent years, Iran has created various underground military facilities and laboratories and held presentations on them. Military officials of the Iranian regime note with "great pride" that there are many such underground military facilities, only a few of which have been disclosed. No one can guarantee whether there are "atomic bombs" in those military facilities.

After suspending the implementation of the JCPOA, Iran is in no hurry to reach an agreement within the framework of the mentioned plan to effectively enter the next nuclear talks and seems to want to go into the nuclear talks "with its hands full".

Of course, this desire of Iran does not escape the eyes of the international community. Taking into account this position of Iran at the minimum level, the US and the Western countries can take steps towards sinking the Iranian economy once and for all.

The point is that now the US and the Western countries will make Iran face a serious choice: either get an "atomic bomb" and turn the country into a completely closed space or live temporarily without drowning in a quagmire with a "peaceful" nuclear program with minor concessions.

In the current situation, Iran can choose the second option and continue its plan to extend the time.

The above shows that Iran will have to choose between options regarding its nuclear program, either bad or worse.

In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.

On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.

Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA on Sept.5. On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.

On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.

On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.

Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.

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