For 1st time, Iran starts 60% nuclear enrichment at Fordow site after IAEA resolution

In a statement on its website, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran listed a set of measures it had recently taken at the facilities in Natanz and Fordow as part of its agenda to develop the country’s conventional nuclear program.

It announced the production of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) at 60-percent purity level for the first time at the Fordow nuclear site, saying similar enrichment remains underway at the Natanz complex.

Meanwhile, Iran also examined and injected gas into two other cascades of IR-2m and IR-4 centrifuges at the Natanz site. Two more cascades of the centrifuges have also been prepared for the same process.

On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors adopted a resolution, criticizing Iran for what it called a lack of cooperation with the agency. The resolution was drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany “in line with their pressure policy against Tehran.”

Iran slammed the resolution as “politically-motivated,” saying it has “the most transparent” peaceful nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, “In response to the latest action of the three European countries and the United States, namely the passing of a resolution against Iran in the agency’s Board of Governors, a number of measures were put on the agenda of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and their implementation was carried out in the enrichment complexes of Martyr Ahmadi in Natanz and Martyr Alimohammadi complex in Fordow in the presence of the IAEA’s inspectors.”