France demands a review of the nuclear deal as Iran seems close to making a nuclear bomb

Paris/Tehran: – Iran, who increased the speed of its nuclear program, is fast reaching a stage to manufacture a nuclear bomb. Therefore, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian demanded that Iran and the United States should review the nuclear deal signed in 2015 and bring it in force immediately. Following France, the other European countries, the United Kingdom and Germany, also adopted a tough stand that if Iran intends to save the nuclear deal, it should immediately stop the violations. Iran strongly objected to the statements of the French Foreign Minister and showered vitriolic criticism.

This month, Iran has initiated the process of taking the Uranium enrichment level to 20%. Iran has activated its Fordo nuclear project completely by violating the 2015 nuclear deal one more time. Iran also announced an increase in the number of centrifuges in the project and an increasing level of Uranium enrichment. A few days ago, Iran had informed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it had made arrangements for producing the Uranium metal required in the nuclear projects.

IAEA President Rafael Grossi expressed concerns over these Iranian activities and alerted the countries who are a part of the Iran nuclear deal. Iran has started Uranium enrichment at a very rapid rate. Grossi said that because of this, we are left with only a few weeks, not even months, to save the Iran nuclear deal. He cited the speed of the Iranian nuclear program and the systems available in Iran. Grossi warned that taking this into account, Iran can ultimately enrich 10 kilograms or more of Uranium in a month.

French Foreign Minister, Drian, expressed concerns over the IAEA’s warning regarding the developments in the Iranian nuclear program during an interview with a weekly. The French Foreign Minister said, ‘Iran, who has increased the nuclear program’s speed, has to be stopped. I clearly state that Iran is very close to manufacturing a nuclear bomb.’

Reviewing the 2015 nuclear deal will not suffice. The Iranian missile manufacturing and the instability created in the Middle East countries by Iran need to be discussed. The French Foreign Minister also criticised that at the same time, the threat of the Iranian nuclear program increased because of the pressure exerted on Iran by US President Donald Trump. France, the United Kingdom and Germany once again instructed Iran to stay within the provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal, through a joint statement issued.

The Uranium metal used in the nuclear project is never for civilian use. The European countries pointed out that therefore, Iran cannot justify this step in any possible way. The European countries also warned that if the Uranium metal is for military use, it will have dire consequences. Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif lashed out that the statements made by the French Foreign Minister are foolish. Zarif reprimanded, ‘The leader who supplied arms to Saudi Arabia, for the conflict in Yemen, should not make such statements on his first day at the foreign office.’ The Iranian Foreign Minister lambasted, ‘It is you, not Iran, responsible for the instability in the Middle East. You supported those who chopped the hands of your critics. Saudi Arabia is holding the weapons supplied by you, on the heads of children, in Yemen.’