The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Tuesday that Tehran had started to produce uranium enriched at 60 % in its Fordo factory. A new sprain to its commitments which mortssesses a little more the chances of reactivating the 2015 agreement.
by Philippe Ricard and Madjid Zerrouky
The tension suddenly rises on the Iranian nuclear front. The International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA) confirmed, Tuesday, November 22, that Iran had started producing uranium enriched at 60 % in its Fordo factory. This new spraining to its commitments, decided after a critical resolution adopted at the AIEA, comes when the negotiations started in April 2021 in Vienna to revive the 2015 agreement are currently at neutral.
To be used as fuel in a nuclear power plant, uranium must be enriched. And even more to enter the process of manufacturing a weapon. In April 2021, Iran had already started producing uranium 60 % enriched on the Natanz site, approaching the 90 % necessary for making a bomb.
The reactions to this new Gesture from Iran were quick, in the United States as in Europe. The United Kingdom, France and Germany -the three European countries engaged in Iranian nuclear negotiations -condemned in a joint declaration published in the evening “The last measures of Iran, confirmed by AIEA , targeting a new expansion of its nuclear program “. “This measure, which contains significant risks of proliferation, has no credible civil justification”, denounce the three countries.
“We continue to observe with deep concern, not only the progression of the nuclear program of Iran, but also the constant improvement of its capacities in terms of ballistic missiles”, said John Kirby, -Sholes of the National Security Council of the White House.
Earlier in the day, Tehran had announced that he started producing uranium enriched at 60 % in Fordo, a rate far beyond the 3.67 % threshold set by the 2015 International Agreement on his Nuclear program.
REPORTS OF URANIUM enrichment levels
This last initiative is presented in Tehran as a response to the resolution adopted last week by the Council of Governors of the IAEA, composed of thirty-five countries, which orders Iran to finally cooperate with this body in The framework of a long -standing survey on the origin of the suspect uranium particles discovered in three unsuccessful sites. “We have said that political pressures do not change anything and that the adoption of a resolution [at IAEA] will arouse a serious reaction” from Iran, justified Mohammad Eslami, the head of the organization Iranian atomic energy (goose).
You have 62.01% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.