Iran has announced it is enriching uranium up to 20% using advanced centrifuges at its underground nuclear facility in Fordow, state television reported, as the escalation comes amid a standoff with the West over the 2015 nuclear deal, said Behruz Kamalvandi, Iran’s official. . for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The uranium enriched up to 20 percent was collected for the first time in advanced IR-6 centrifuges, and added that Iran informed the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency of this development two weeks ago, the Associated Press quoted him as saying. Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers called for Fordow to become a research and development center, limiting the use of centrifuges there to non-nuclear purposes. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid responded by calling for a “clear response from the international community” and “maximum sanctions” against Tehran.
In January 2021, Iran announced that it was enriching uranium to 20% at Fordow, well above the 3.67% agreed under the 2015 agreement. A few months later, the uranium was enriched to 60% at another bomb-making facility. Nuclear requires 90% enrichment.
A nuclear deal with Iran will be on the agenda of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Tuesday and Saudi Arabia on Friday.
