While Iran on Wednesday warned that it would be violating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal on Thursday by exceeding the amount of low-enriched uranium it is allowed to store under the agreement, the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday that the cap of 300kg has not been exceeded yet and that this may not actually happen until the weekend.
Analysts suggest that Iran may be holding back to see what will happen on Friday, when Iranian representatives will meet with EU powers, China and Russia. At the talks, the EU will outline plans for the implementation of Instex, a European payment system that will allow for indirect trade between Iranian firms and companies from other countries using a currency other than the dollar as a way of circumventing US sanctions on the country.
European countries want Instex to work in order to keep Iran committed to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that was abandoned by the US under President Trump. US-Iran relations have been deteriorating ever since the United States pulled out of the agreement. The situation further escalated in recent weeks, fueling global worries about a military conflict between the two countries.
