ABC:
The U.S. and five other world powers have approved Iran importing as much as 130 tons of uranium, Iran’s English language Press TV reported Friday.
The TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman as saying “the Joint Commission monitoring the implementation of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5 1 approved the purchase on the part of Iran during a meeting in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Wednesday.”
Kamalvandi said that the country had previously bought 220 tons of the material, and was currently in possession of a total of 350 tons, “Given that this amounts to a valuable resource, it places us in a very favorable position”.
The incoming U.S. administration and many U.S. lawmakers already skeptical of how effective the nuclear deal is in keeping Iran’s nuclear program peaceful over the long term, they might view it as further evidence that Tehran is being given too many concessions.
Other U.S. officials have argued, however, that such shipments would neither endanger nor violate the Iran nuclear deal.
State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters there was no prohibition on such imports by Iran and noted natural uranium “cannot be used … for a weapon” in its original form.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said such arrangements are “subject to the careful monitoring and inspections that are included in the deal to ensure that Iran is living up to the commitments that they made.”…
