Iran Increases Uranium Enrichment To 60% - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) Iran started enrichment of uranium to 60 percent on Tuesday, the IRNA news agency reported, citing Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The broadcaster did not provide any additional details but the news comes amid Tehran's intentions to increase nuclear activity in the light of a sabotage attack at a facility in Natanz.

Later in the day, Iran officially informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intentions to begin enrichment of uranium to 60 percent at the Natanz nuclear facility, according to a statement from the agency's spokesperson available to Sputnik.

"During his visit to the countries participating in IAEA monitoring and verification in Iran, Director General Rafael Grossi said that Iran has informed the agency that the country intends to start producing uranium fluoride (UF6) enriched to 60 percent uranium-235 at the Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment plant," the spokesperson stated.

Iran's decision will be on the agenda of the Thursday meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said.