Iran’s Recent Nuclear Announcement in the Context of Rising Regional Tensions

On January 5—amidst quickly escalating tensions between the United States and Iran—Tehran announced its latest steps to walk back its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal.

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Iran announced on January 5 that it would no longer be bound by limits—imposed under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—on the number of centrifuges it can install and operate at its nuclear facilities. In doing so, Iran declared that its nuclear program “no longer faces any operational restrictions” and that future development will depend on Iran’s “technical needs.” This is the latest (and what Iran claimed would be the last) step in a series that Iran has taken since May 2019 to unwind its commitments to the nuclear deal (other key steps include abandoning restrictions on R&D activities, its stockpile of uranium, and its level of enrichment). Iran did not, as some media initially reported, abandon “all” of its commitments under the nuclear deal or withdraw from the agreement altogether.

Read the full article on CSIS

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