Iran to Start Enriching Uranium to Purity Level of 60% Tonight

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi says the country will start enriching uranium to the purity level of 60 percent.

The Iranian official said on Tuesday the country has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it is starting uranium enrichment at 60% purity level.

Araqchi, who is in Vienna for a fresh round of talks among members of the JCPOA Joint Commission, made the announcement two days after an act of sabotage damaged hundreds of Iranian centrifuges at Natanz nuclear facility.

Shortly after the attack, Iranian officials vowed to reciprocate the act of sabotage by increasing the country’s enrichment level and installing more advanced centrifuges instead of the old ones damaged.

In his Tuesday remarks, Araqchi said 1,000 new centrifuges will be added to Natanz, in addition to replacing the damaged machines. Araqchi said the 1,000 additional machines will have 50% more capacity.

Iran had earlier said it is going to replace the mostly IR-1 machines damaged in the attack on Natanz with IR-6 centrifuges.

Meanwhile, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), said the 60-percent uranium enrichment will begin tonight at Natanz facility.

He also announced that the enriched uranium will be used to produce Molybdenum, which is used in production of various radiopharmaceuticals.

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