Weekend Reads Berlin, Paris and London ask Iran to give up the production of uranium metal

Goodale rejects Iran's offer to compensate Canadian victims of downed Ukraine plane

OTTAWA — Canada's special adviser on the Iranian military's downing of a passenger jet one year ago this week is rejecting Tehran's offer to pay $150,000 to the families of those killed in the tragedy. Ralph Goodale, the former Liberal public safety minister, says Iran doesn't have the right to offer compensation to victims’ families unilaterally. Goodale told The Canadian Press the final amount will be subject to negotiations between Iran and Canada and the four other countries whose citizens were killed on the plane. Iranian state television announced on Dec.

PARIS , Jan 16 (Reuters) - European powers on Saturday warned Iran against starting work on uranium metal -based fuel for a research reactor, saying it contravened the 2015 nuclear deal and stressing that it had no civilian use but serious military implications.

Iran has announced plans to begin manufacturing uranium metal , amid heightened tensions with the US. Trump tore up the deal in 2018 by reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran , prompting Tehran to stop complying with the deal by accelerating its enrichment of uranium and rebuilding stockpiles.

© AP Iran had indicated on Wednesday January 13 to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to advance in its production of uranium metal to serve as fuel for a reactor (illustrative photo of an Iranian atomic site).

France, Germany and Great Britain asked Iran on Saturday January 15 to abandon the production of uranium metal, which would mark a new violation of its commitments under the 2015 international agreement.

"We, the governments of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, are deeply concerned about Iran's announcement that it is preparing to produce uranium metal," warn the three countries in a joint press release.

Goodale rejects Iran's offer to compensate Canadian victims of downed Ukraine plane

OTTAWA — Canada's special adviser on the Iranian military's downing of a passenger jet one year ago this week is rejecting Tehran's offer to pay $150,000 to the families of those killed in the tragedy. Ralph Goodale, the former Liberal public safety minister, says Iran doesn't have the right to offer compensation to victims’ families unilaterally. Goodale told The Canadian Press the final amount will be subject to negotiations between Iran and Canada and the four other countries whose citizens were killed on the plane. Iranian state television announced on Dec.

As Iran gave European countries more time to save the pact, the US imposed fresh sanctions. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced Wednesday that the country would soon begin researching and developing improved centrifuges to speed up the process of enriching uranium .

Iran hasn’t made uranium metal so far, senior Western officials said. The IAEA said Tehran had given it no timeline for when it would do so. Given the new UN/IAEA report has identified the facility involved in pursuing uranium metal production as Isfahan, it's more than likely that Israeli military

Iran had indicated Wednesday to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to advance in its production of uranium metal to be used as fuel for a reactor.

The subject is sensitive because uranium metal can be used as a component for nuclear weapons, and the 2015 agreement includes a 15-year ban on "the production or acquisition of plutonium or uranium metals or their alloys ”.

"No credible civilian use of uranium metal"

It foresees that Iran can be allowed to start its research on the production of uranium-based fuel "in approved small quantities" after ten years, but only with the permission of the other signatories to the agreement. "Iran has no credible civilian use of uranium metal," add the three signatory countries of the 2015 agreement. "The production of uranium metal can have serious military implications", they deplore.

"We urge Iran, in the strongest terms, to cease this activity and immediately resume its obligations under the Joint Program of Action on Climate Change if Iran is serious about preserving this agreement", conclude London, Berlin and Paris.

(With AFP)

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