The U.N. nuclear watchdog mentioned Tuesday that Iran has reversed a monthslong slowdown within the price at which it’s enriching uranium to as much as 60% purity, near weapons grade.
Many diplomats believed the slowdown, which had begun by June, was the results of secret talks between the United States and Iran that led to the discharge of U.S. residents held in Iran earlier this yr.
Iran already has sufficient uranium enriched to as much as 60%, if enriched additional, to make three nuclear bombs, in keeping with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s theoretical definition, and extra at decrease enrichment ranges. Iran denies in search of nuclear weapons.
Iran has “increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023,” the IAEA mentioned in an announcement summarising a confidential report back to member states seen by Reuters that was despatched minutes earlier.
Iran is enriching to as much as 60%, near the roughly 90% that’s weapons grade, at its Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) in its sprawling Natanz advanced and at its Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), which is dug right into a mountain.
Since the slowdown, these crops had been enriching uranium to as much as 60% at a price of about 3 kg a month, the IAEA mentioned.
“The Agency confirms that, since the end of November 2023, the rate at which Iran has been producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 at these two facilities combined has increased to approximately 9 kg per month,” the report back to member states mentioned.
By the IAEA’s theoretical definition, round 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% is the quantity at which making a nuclear bomb with it can’t be excluded.
IAEA inspectors first noticed a change in manufacturing at Fordow on Nov. 25, after which Iran mentioned the change was made on Nov. 22, and that the speed of manufacturing was returning to the pre-slowdown degree there, the report mentioned.
Inspectors noticed a rise within the manufacturing price at Natanz on Nov. 27, it added.
The IAEA then verified the quantity being produced at Natanz on Dec. 19 and Fordow on Dec. 24, it mentioned. The IAEA didn’t formally notify its member states of the reversal of the slowdown till Tuesday’s report.
Source: www.dailysabah.com