Report: Iran Suspends Uranium Enrichment To End Western Sanctions
An Iranian member of parliament told the Al-Arabiya news network that the country has suspended its 20 percent uranium enrichment. Foreign Policy and National Security Commission of Parliament Mohammad Hossein Asfari, told the ISNA news agency that Iran has suspended its heavy enrichment program in order to persuade western nations to lift the crippling sanctions that have brought the country’s economy to its knees. He referred to the move as a “good will” gesture.
This report comes at a time when Fereydoun Abbasi, head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, said that Iran has completed their installation of new centrifuges at its underground facility at Fordow.
Tehran lost a great deal of their centrifuges in a cyber attack widely attributed to Israel and the United States.
The United States and the European Union have enacted sanctions that have targeted Iran’s crude oil exports which is where Iran’s main source of foreign in derived from. Since the beginning of the sanctions Iran’s currency has lost more than 80 percent of its value.
Iran has recently passed a directive instructing its industry heads that they will no longer be able to export basic goods due to lack of import within the country. Iranian traders will no longer be able to export goods including wheat, flour, sugar, and red meat, as well as aluminum and steel ingots, according to a letter from Deputy Industry Minister Seyyed Javad Taghavi. The letter also said that there will be additions to the list announced at a later date.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, told the German magazine Der Speigel that the country was willing to compromise with the West. Salehi said that Iran was willing to suspend its enrichment program if the West was willing to recognize that Iran has the right to develop nukes.
Salehi said:
“If our right to enrich uranium is recognized, we will limit the amount of enrichment. However, Iran will need to receive the fuel supply it needs other countries.”
