Iran announced on Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium to 20 percent using advanced centrifuges at its underground Fordow nuclear facility.
Behrouz Kamalondi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said: 20% enriched uranium was collected for the first time from IR-6 advanced centrifuges.
This Iranian official noted: Tehran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations about this two weeks ago.
Centrifuges are used to spin enriched uranium to higher levels of purity.
A 2015 nuclear deal with world powers called for Ford to become a research and development center and limit centrifuges there to non-nuclear uses.
Iran had previously told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it was preparing to enrich uranium through a new series of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow underground facility.
The International Atomic Energy Agency told The Associated Press that it confirmed on Saturday that Iran is using a system that allows it to quickly and easily switch between enrichment levels.
In a report to member states, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke of the “modified headers” system, saying it would allow Iran to pump gas enriched up to 5 percent into a series of 166 reactors. IR-6 inch centrifuges to produce enriched uranium with a purity of up to 20%.
Iran has not commented on the latest findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, the announcement that Tehran is enriching uranium to 20 percent is another blow to the slim chances of reviving the nuclear deal.
It should be noted that the nuclear negotiations have been stopped for months.
Robert Malley, the US special representative for Iran affairs, described the latest round of talks in Qatar as “more than a missed opportunity.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
