Iran plans to enrich uranium to up to 20 per cent, conveys IAEA
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Iran's parliament passed a law last month which had mention of enrichment of uranium. The law was passed in response to the killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist
In what can be a show of its intention to breach the 2015 accord, Iran has decided to enrich uranium to up to 20 per cent at its Fordow site buried inside a mountain. Iran has conveyed this to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog. This is the latest move on in several recent Iranian announcements to IAEA signifying that it is further breaching the nuclear deal. The violations started in 2019 in retaliation for USA's unilateral withdrawal from the agreement and reimposition of sanctions against Tehran.
Iran's parliament passed a law last month which had mention of enrichment of uranium. The law was passed in response to the killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist
Such moves by Iran could complicate efforts by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal.
"Iran has informed the Agency that in order to comply with a legal act recently passed by the country`s parliament, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran intends to produce low-enriched uranium (LEU) up to 20 per cent at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant," the IAEA said in a statement.
An IAEA report to member states earlier on Friday obtained by Reuters used similar wording in describing a letter by Iran to the IAEA dated Dec. 31.
"Iran`s letter to the Agency ... did not say when this enrichment activity would take place," the IAEA statement said.
The tension between Iran and US has increased as the first anniversary of killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani. He was killed on January 3, 2019, in US strike outside Baghdad airport.
(With Reuters inputs)