20% Uranium Enrichment Duration in Iran Halved with New Technologies: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said new technologies have enabled the country to halve the duration of enrichment of uranium to a purity level of 20 percent.
Speaking to the IRIB on Monday night, Behrouz Kamalvandi said the length of production of 20% enriched uranium in Iran has decreased from 24 to 12 hours with new technologies.
He said the enrichment of uranium to a 20% purity level that restarted on Monday morning at the Fordow nuclear site is in compliance with the Strategic Action for Lifting of Sanctions, recently ratified by the Parliament.
Iran is easily capable of enriching uranium to levels above 20 percent and is weighing plans for it, the spokesman added.
Last month, the Iranian parliament approved a law, dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, which requires the government to scale back more obligations under the JCPOA.
It also requires the AEOI to produce at least 120 kilograms of 20-percent enriched uranium annually and store it inside the country within two months after the adoption of the law.
The law further urges the AEOI to start the installation, gas injection, enrichment and storage of nuclear materials up to an appropriate enrichment degree within a period of three months using at least 1,000 IR-2m centrifuges, Press TV reported.
Tehran has expressed its readiness to reverse the suspension of its commitments only if the US returns to the nuclear deal and lifts all sanctions without any preconditions or if the European co-signatories manage to protect business ties with Iran against Washington’s sanctions as part of their contractual obligations.