Iran raised production of 60% enriched uranium to about 9kg per month since late November, IAEA report says
Iran claimed today that there is “nothing new” in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. which was made public yesterday, Tuesday, and speaks of an acceleration of the production of highly enriched uranium by the Islamic Republic.
According to this UN agency, Iran “increased production of highly enriched uranium in recent weeks, having slowed the pace since mid-2023.”
The country raised production of 60% enriched uranium to about 9kg a month since the end of November, up from about 3kg a month since June and back to the 9kg monthly pace of the first half of 2023″, he clarified.
“The new report does not contain anything new (…) and we didn’t do anything neware the usual activities carried out within the framework of the regulations,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
“We produce the same percentage of uranium enriched to 60%. We have not changed anything and we have not developed new capabilities,” he added.
Iran is now enriching uranium to levels well above the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 international accord that framed Tehran’s nuclear activities, and approaching the 90% level necessary to produce an atomic bomb. He denies, however, that he wants to acquire an atomic bomb.
The slowdown in the rate of uranium production enriched to 60%which had been identified by the IAEA a few months ago, was seen as a positive move by experts as talks resumed with the US to renew the agreement.
This agreement was canceled after Washington withdrew from it in 2018, which was decided by then US President Donald Trump. His successor Joe Biden attempted to revive it through talks held in Vienna, but they have been deadlocked since the summer of 2022.
However, tensions have risen in recent months with the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which Washington and Tehran accuse each other of exacerbating.
The Islamic Republic has also refused to be visited by its inspectors IAEA and has disconnected the cameras necessary to monitor its nuclear program.
Source :Skai
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