Iran aims two 'guns' at the West?

Break the limits

One day after the 1 year anniversary of the eventUS assassinates senior generalIran's Qasem Soleimani, and just under 3 weeks before Donald Trump's term as President of the United States ends, Tehran has made a move that further escalates tensions with Washington. That was when on January 4, Iran announced that it had resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity, far exceeding the limits outlined in the agreement that they themselves agreed to in 2015. According to the Mehr and IRNA news agencies, a government spokesman revealed that the Islamic Republic's experts had restarted uranium enrichment towards the above goal at the underground Fordow nuclear facility. 20% will surely be startling to many people, when compared to the current level of Iran enriching its uranium stockpile to around 4.5%, higher than the 3.67% ceiling imposed on Tehran by the 2015 agreement with major powers. Although it must reach 90 percent to be considered weapons-grade, and Iran has repeatedly denied any intention to build nuclear weapons, the fact is that the country has broken the limits it agreed to and committed to more than five years ago.

Iran has decided to increase the level of uranium enrichment. Photo: Getty

According to CNN, Iran has notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intention.uranium enrichmentat 20% since late last week. And on Monday morning, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said they had started the uranium enrichment process “a few hours ago” at the Fordow facility, noting that the first batch of enriched uranium UF6 would be produced in a few hours.

The three main contents that Iran agreed to under the 2015 nuclear deal: (1) Reduce by two-thirds the number of centrifuges used to enrich uranium (from 19,000 to 6,104); (2) Reduce by 98% the stockpile of enriched uranium (from 10,000 kg of low-enriched uranium to 300 kg in 15 years); (3) Only enrich uranium to a maximum of 3.67%, enough for civilian use.

While the news about increasing uranium enrichment level is still hot, news agencies and Dryad Global company dropped another "bomb", that Iran hasarrest of a petrochemical vesselflying the South Korean flag. “Reports indicate that the South Korean-flagged petrochemical vessel HANKUK CHEMI may have been seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz while en route to Fujairah,” Dryad Global said. South Korea then said it had dispatched its Choenghae anti-piracy unit to the strait, and the Defense Ministry in Seoul issued a statement saying: “A vessel moving near the Sea of ​​Oman in the Sea of ​​Hormuz on the afternoon of January 4 is currently entering Iranian waters at the request of Iranian authorities.”

The ministry and the South Korean embassy have asked Iranian authorities to confirm the safety of the crew and release the ship as soon as possible. In response, Iran said the ship was seized for “causing environmental and chemical pollution in the Persian Gulf.” The ship was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. Some believe that this is likely a retaliatory move by Tehran, given that its finances have been frozen by South Korean banks under US sanctions. The incident even took place ahead of a planned visit by South Korea’s deputy foreign minister to Tehran in the next few days to discuss Iran’s proposal that Seoul “untie” the $7 billion in frozen funds and use them to “exchange” for Covid-19 vaccine doses and other items.

A South Korean-flagged oil tanker is escorted by an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel in the Persian Gulf on January 4. Photo: Tasnim

Reverse the decision

For that reason, although Iran asserted that the seizure of the oil tanker was only a “technical” issue, in Washington’s eyes, the situation is not that simple. The US State Department immediately criticized, asserting that Tehran’s “continued threats to the rights and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf are a clear attempt to force the international community to ease the pressure of sanctions.” Of course, they also condemned the opponent’s move to increase uranium enrichment, and a spokesperson representing the United States emphasized that “Iran’s enrichment program was initially developed in secret, including at the Fordow facility, and Iran retains a large amount of archives from its previous nuclear weapons program, along with many key personnel who led that program.” With such a view, the US affirmed that it would join the international community in “assessing Iran’s actions based on this provocative history.”

The tensionsThe continued progress prompted President Trump to direct the Pentagon to maintain the US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, reversing last week's decision to withdraw the vessel from the region. Specifically, after a White House meeting on January 3, Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller ordered the USS Nimitz to return to the Middle East, even though just a few days earlier, he had requested the aircraft carrier to return home, partly to signal de-escalation with Iran amid continued tensions between the two countries, although this view was opposed by senior commanders at the time.

US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, US ally South Korea also made a last-minute change of heart, saying it was reconsidering a visit by Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun to Tehran, which was scheduled for this weekend to further discuss the Islamic Republic’s demands for $7 billion in funds frozen by Seoul. The ministry said the plan for Choi’s visit was “unclear” at the moment, stressing that it would continue diplomatic efforts to release the tanker and its crew, putting that as a top priority, not discussing Tehran’s financial freeze.

Finally, in the current context, it can be seen that the latest unpredictable developments have been posing challenges toPresident-elect Joe Bidenof the United States, who has just pledged to restore the Iran nuclear deal after taking office on January 20. Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, announced over the weekend that the incoming administration of the United States would return to the deal if Iran also returned to compliance. After that, the Biden administration would seek a "further negotiation" on Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. But with what the public is witnessing - a defiant Tehran and a Washington that refuses to back down, the path to bringing the two sides to the negotiating table to resolve one of the hottest issues of all time will not be a bed of roses!