Iran is on track to produce enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb, a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reveled. The agency detailed that its inspectors were certain that Iran had produced more than 300 kg of enriched uranium.

Nuclear stockpile limit exceeded

In 2015, Iran entered a deal with world powers alongside the United Nations where it was agreed that the country would have sanctions against it raised but on some conditions. One of those conditions was that Iran limits its nuclear stockpile to 300 kg.

For a long time, Iran complied. However, this changed the moment US President Donald Trump walked out of the deal. The move resumed hostilities between the countries and almost pushed them to war in the past few weeks.

The US prepared a new round of sanctions against Iran which promised to resume uranium enrichment plans. In a statement, an IAEA spokesman said that the agency’s director general, Yukiya Amano had confirmed that Iran’s nuclear stockpile had breached the limit set under the 2015 deal.

Just hours earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had told the ISNA news agency that his country’s stockpile of enriched uranium was at 3.67% concentration. “Our next step will be enriching uranium beyond the 3.67% allowed under the deal,” Zarif added.

Iran playing with fire

World powers have voiced their concerns regarding the situation. On his part, Trump said that Iran is “playing with fire.” Mike Pompeo, Trump’s Secretary of State added that Iran is using the uranium thing to arm twist the international community.

Britain, on the other hand, urged Iran to stay committed to the 2015 nuclear deal, which is an indirect way of asking the country to avoid actions such what is just happening. On the contrary, Russia simply voiced its concerns about the situation while blaming the US for igniting the fire.

For Iran, this seems like the remaining card which it can play to circumvent fresh US sanctions. For starters, Iran has made its intentions clear and that has to do with pressuring the other world powers that are signatories to the 2015 deal to help it lessen the pinch of US sanctions.