The announcement of enrichment at Fordo came as fears arose that Tehran had seized MT Hankuk Chemi. Iran later acknowledged the seizure, alleging “oil pollution” sparked the move. Iran’s decision to begin enriching to 20 percent a decade ago nearly brought an Israeli strike targeting its nuclear facilities, tensions that only abated with the 2015 atomic deal. A resumption of 20 percent enrichment could see that brinksmanship return as that level of purity is only a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. That attack later saw Iran retaliate by launching a ballistic missile strike, injuring dozens of US troops in Iraq.

Source: Egypt Independent January 04, 2021 12:45 UTC