Why Iran Passed Bill To Boost Nuclear Activity?
The parliament of Iran have passed a new bill on November 29, 2020. It has been named as “The strategic measure for the removal of sanctions” bill.
Why this bill has been passed?
Iran has passed this bill in order to boost its nuclear activities. Iran has taken this decision in the light of assassination of its nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
What was the issue?
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was a veteran physicist and a nuclear scientist of Iran. He was working in the fields of nuclear research and defense activities. But, he was killed on November 27, 2020 in a bombing and shooting outside Tehran. So, Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran discussed the bill named as “strategic measure for the removal of sanctions” and approved three of its articles.
The strategic measure for the removal of sanctions bill
- The bill seeks to increase Iran’s nuclear activities.
- It will increase the uranium enrichment level in Iran by 20% or more. This amount of uranium is considered as a weapon-grade one.
- The bill will further restore the Arak nuclear reactor that was set to be redesigned so as to produce radioisotopes. This was done to stop it from producing the weapons-grade plutonium under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
- The bill also compels Iran to abandon the voluntary compliance with the Additional Protocol. It will safeguard the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Current Scenario in Iran
Iran is enriching its uranium at more than 4%. This is more then the prescribed level of 3.67% under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
JCPOA is also known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal. It is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. The agreement was done between Iran and P5+1 member nations in Vienna on 14 July 2015.
P5+1
The grouping comprise of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council namely, China, Russia, France, United Kingdom and the United States along with Germany with the European Union.