Existências de urânio do Irão infographic
A infografia mostra as existência de urânio de baixo enriquecimento do Irão.
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DEFESA

Eleições no Irão podem atrasar acordo nuclear

By Duncan Mil

May 28, 2021 - As eleições presidenciais de 18 de junho no Irão têm lugar quando as
potências mundiais procuram um entendimento para rever o acordo nuclear de 2015 abandonado pelo ex-Presidente dos EUA, Donald Trump.

Until the Trump withdrawal, Tehran complied with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- the Iran nuclear deal which limits Iran’s stockpile to 300 kilograms of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas enriched to only 3.67 per cent purity. Three hundred kilograms of UF6 equates to about 202 kilograms of uranium by weight.

One year after Trump quit the JCPOA, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced Iran’s “reduced compliance” with the deal. Subsequently, the enriched uranium stockpile surged from 164 kilograms in the first quarter of 2019 to 2,968 kilograms in the same quarter of 2021.

Following the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November 2020, Iran began producing uranium enriched to just under 20 per cent (around 19.5 per cent).

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Iran currently has 17.6 kilograms of material enriched to 20 per cent.

In April 2020, Iran suffered an attack against its Natanz nuclear site, which destroyed or damaged thousands of centrifuges to enrich uranium. Tehran has blamed both the killing of Fakhrizadeh and the Natanz attack on Israel.

Iran responded by announcing that it would significantly increase the quality of enrichment -- from 20% to 60% purity -- a big step towards 90 per cent weapons-grade uranium.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 01/06/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Associated Press
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