Nuclear deal: Iran’s uranium ship reaches Russian Federation

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement the Iranian uranium shipment to Russian Federation was “one of the first very important steps” when it came to implementing the Vienna nuclear accord.

“This removal of all this enriched material out of Iran is a significant step toward Iran meeting its commitment to have no more than 300 kg of low-enriched uranium by Implementation Day”, Kerry added.

Mark Toner, the US State Department spokesman, described the cargo as a 12.5 tonne “combination of forms of low-enriched uranium materials” including 5 and 20 percent enriched uranium, scrap metal, and unfinished fuel plates.

By doing so Iran has now vastly depleted a stockpile of uranium that, were it enriched to higher purities, could have been used in developing a nuclear weapon, a goal the Islamic republic has denied pursuing.

Under the deal with the world powers, the stockpile of Iran’s enriched uranium must be slashed to no more than 300kg.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the shipment of more than 25,000 pounds of low-enriched uranium materials from Iran on Monday a “one of the most significant steps” in the worldwide agreement that allows for lifting sanctions against the Middle Eastern country that was suspected of taking steps towards creating a nuclear bomb.

After Iran’s compliance has been verified, the United States and its allies will begin to dismantle the sanctions imposed on Tehran in response to its nuclear programme.

Iran, reports the World Nuclear Association, must also “remove and render inoperable the existing core of the Arak Reactor”.

That will happen after the IAEA confirms that Iran has met all commitments.

But he warned “we will remain vigilant to ensure that its implementation achieves exactly what we set out to do from the very beginning of these negotiations to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is and always remains exclusively for peaceful purposes”.