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WORLD NEWS Friday 6 September 2019

Iran poised for faster centrifuges as nuclear deal collapses

By AMIR VAHDAT peaceful purposes and
JON GAMBRELL denies it seeks an atomic
Associated Press bomb. However, Western
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran nations have pointed to
was poised Thursday to previous Iranian research
begin work on advanced into a weapons program
centrifuges that will en- that U.N. experts say largely
rich uranium faster as the ended in 2003.
2015 nuclear deal unravels France in recent days had
further and a last-minute pushed the idea of offer-
French proposal offering a ing Iran a $15 billion credit
$15-billion line of credit to to sell its oil, though details
compensate Iran for not remain unclear and it ap-
being able to sell its crude peared the deal wouldn’t
oil abroad because of U.S. come through before Iran’s
sanctions looked increas- deadline Friday.
ingly unlikely. That appears to show Iran
Meanwhile, Iran released trying to resort to its own
seven crew members from maximum pressure cam-
a detained British-flagged paign through the nuclear
oil tanker Stena Impero in program to get what it
a goodwill gesture and the wants, said Henry Rome,
mariners flew out of Iran, an analyst for the Eurasia
the ship’s owner said. In this July 21, 2019 file photo, a speedboat of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard moves around a Group.
Iran has yet to say official- British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero, which was seized by the Guard, in the Iranian port of Israeli Prime Minister Benja-
ly what exact steps it will Bandar Abbas. min Netanyahu, a longtime
take as a deadline it gave Associated Press hawk on Iran, called on the
Europeans to salvage the would be unveiled at a the nuclear deal, which the Adrian Darya-1, now world to increase its pres-
deal is to expire on Friday. press conference in Tehran, saw Tehran agree to limit thought by analysts to be sure on Tehran before flying
However, centrifuges that the reports said. its uranium enrichment in off the Syrian coast despite to London for meetings with
speed enrichment would The U.S. has continued its exchange for the lifting of a pledge by Tehran that its British officials on Thursday.
further shorten the time effort to choke off Iran’s economic sanctions. Trump cargo wasn’t bound there. While Trump maintains
Tehran would need to have crude oil sales abroad, a subsequently re-imposed In his speech late Wednes- he’s open for North Korea-
enough material available crucial source of govern- old sanctions on Iran and day, Rouhani said Tehran style talks with Iran, his ad-
to build a nuclear weapon ment revenue. Iranian For- created new ones, going would soon begin work ministration has continu-
— if it chose to do so. eign Minister Mohammad as far as targeting Iranian on research and develop- ally upped its pressure on
Under the deal, which has Javad Zarif, who continues officials like Zarif and Iran’s ment of “all kinds” of cen- the Islamic Republic. On
steadily unraveled after a whirlwind global diplo- paramilitary Revolutionary trifuges that enrich uranium Wednesday, the U.S. im-
President Donald Trump’s matic tour, insists his coun- Guard. by rapidly spinning uranium posed new sanctions on
unilateral withdrawal of the try will do everything it can Meanwhile, mysterious oil hexafluoride gas. an oil shipping network
U.S. from the accord last to keep those sales going, tanker attacks struck near Iran has begun breaking it alleged had ties to the
year, experts thought Iran though he described U.S. the Strait of Hormuz in re- limits of the deal, such as Guard and offered up to
would need about a year sanctions in an angry tweet cent weeks, attacks that just creeping beyond its $15 million for anyone with
to reach that point. Thursday as the equivalent the U.S. blames on Iran. Teh- 3.67%-enrichment limit and information that disrupts
Iran’s atomic energy of a “jail warden.” ran denies it was involved. its stockpile rules. Using ad- the Guard’s operations.
agency was to make an “We will sell our oil, one way Iran also shot down a U.S. vanced centrifuges speeds “There will be more sanc-
announcement on Satur- or the other,” Zarif told Rus- military surveillance drone up enrichment and Ira- tions coming,” Brian Hook,
day detailing its next step, sian broadcaster RT in a re- and seized oil tankers as nian officials already have the U.S. special envoy for
which President Hassan cently aired interview. “The America deployed nucle- raised the idea of enriching Iran, told reporters at the
Rouhani described as high- United States will not be ar-capable B-52 bombers, to 20% — a small technical State Department. “We
ly significant, according able to prevent that.” advanced fighter jets and step from weapons-grade can’t make it any more
to the semi-official Tasnim Tensions between Iran and more troops to the region. levels of 90%. clear that we are commit-
news agency and other the U.S. have been growing The U.S. has sought to Iran long has maintained ted to this campaign of
Iranian media. The details since Trump’s pullout from seize an Iranian oil tanker, its nuclear program is for maximum pressure.”q