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Tehran, Iran (AP) —Iran announced on Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium by up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at the underground Fordo nuclear power plant.
Tehran concentrates uranium to a purity of up to 20% — a technical step from 90% of the weapons grade — a new set of modern centrifuges in a facility deep in the mountains is already a slight resurgence An agreement that will further hurt your chances.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, said 20% concentrated uranium was first collected from an advanced IR-6 centrifuge on Saturday. He said Iran had informed UN nuclear observers about the development two weeks ago.
Centrifuges are used to rotate enriched uranium to a higher level of purity. The 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and the world’s major powers required Fordo to become a research and development facility, where it restricted centrifuges to non-nuclear use.
Iran had Earlier told the IAEA that they are preparing for uranium enrichment Through a new cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges Underground Fordo facility.. However, it did not reveal the level at which the cascade would be enriched.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear monitoring agency, told The Associated Press on Saturday that it had confirmed that Iran was using a setting that would allow it to switch enrichment levels more quickly and easily.
In a report to Member States, Secretary Rafael Grossi described the “modified subheader” system. Uranium is concentrated to a purity of up to 20%.
Iran did not comment on the latest IAEA findings.
Nuclear negotiations Stopped for several months..Iran’s U.S. Special Envoy, Robert Murray, explained the latest Negotiation round in Qatar As “a little more wasted opportunity”.
The IAEA reported last month that Iran is enriched with 43 kilograms of uranium to a purity of 60%. This is a short step to 90%. Nuclear non-proliferation experts warn that if Iran chooses to pursue it, it is sufficient fissile material for one nuclear weapon.
However, Iran still needs to design the bomb and its delivery system, a project that will probably last for several months.
Iran claims that the program is for peaceful purposes, but UN experts and Western intelligence say Iran had an organized military nuclear program until 2003.
Tehran’s escalating nuclear business warns of a rapid decline in transparency.last month Iran shuts down more than 20 IAEA surveillance cameras From various nuclear-related sites nationwide.
Former President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018, re-imposing catastrophic sanctions on Tehran, causing a series of tense incidents across the wider Middle East. Iran responded by significantly increasing its nuclear development, increasing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and spinning an advanced centrifuge banned by the agreement.
Israel, an adversary of Iran, has long opposed the nuclear deal, saying it has slowed Iran’s nuclear progress, arguing that relaxation of sanctions has empowered Tehran’s militias throughout the region.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Yale Rapid urged the United Nations to re-impose multilateral sanctions on Iran. This was a bid that was hit by severe opposition when pushed by the Trump administration.
“The response of the international community must be decisive. It is about returning to the UN Security Council and invoking the sanctions mechanism with all its might,” Rapid, the leader of the caretaker, told the Cabinet. “As part of that, Israel maintains complete freedom to act diplomatically and operationally in this fight against Iran’s nuclear program.”
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Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre of Dubai and Tia Goldenberg of Jerusalem, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.
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