WASHINGTON: The United States acknowledged on Tuesday that Iran had taken a “significant step” towards meeting its nuclear commitments by sending a large quantity of uranium abroad.

“As it agreed to do, Iran has … begun dismantling critical elements of its nuclear facilities and, on Dec 28, shipped a major portion of its enriched uranium out of the country,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry in a statement issued by his office.

“That shipment more than triples our previous timeline of two to three months for Iran to acquire enough weapons-grade uranium for one weapon,” he said.

In July, the United States and five other world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran to prevent Tehran from making nuclear weapons. In return, the United States and its western allies agreed to lift economic sanctions that had crippled the Iranian economy.

On July 20, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution, endorsing the action plan and Iran agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on a roadmap for the clarification of past and present issues.

As agreed in the deal, on Monday Iran dispatched a shipment of more than 11 tons of low-enriched uranium to Russia.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the cargo comprises “combination of forms of low-enriched uranium materials” including five and 20 per cent enriched uranium, scrap metal and unfinished fuel plates.

“So that actually constitutes, I think, almost all of Iran’s current stockpile of enriched uranium,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2015