IAEA Informed of 20% Uranium Enrichment in Iran: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the country has already notified the International Atomic Energy Agency of its move to enrich uranium to a purity level of 20 percent by using a cascade of centrifuges it has launched two weeks ago.
Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Sunday this was the final technical stage in the process.
He said Iran had in advance informed the UN nuclear agency of its plan to inject uranium gas into a cluster of IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow facility.
According to Kamalvandi, the Western media started hyping up the issue, as soon as the IAEA verified Iran's enrichment.
On Saturday, Reuters cited an IAEA report, which confirms Iran has increased enrichment, using advanced machines. The news agency once again highlighted West's purported concerns about Iran's nuclear program, despite acknowledging that Iran had indeed informed the agency of its enrichment plan.
Kamalvandi said on Sunday that Iran informed the UN nuclear agency about injecting uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) into a cascade of IR6 centrifuges about two weeks ago, Press TV reported.
The Reuters report had said that “On 9 July 2022, the Agency verified that Iran had begun feeding UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235 into the cascade of 166 IR-6 centrifuges with modified sub-headers for the declared purpose of producing UF6 enriched up to 20% U-235.”
“The IAEA has been informed about feeding gas into a new cascade of IR6 centrifuges at least two weeks ago and announced this earlier," Kamalvandi said.
But, mainstream media "exaggerated the matter, pursuing certain aims,” he added.
“Iran’s yesterday move in producing 20% output from this cascade was the final technical step of a pre-announced measure,” he said, adding that “what AEOI has done is in line with carrying out its legal duties to launch and feed 1,000 (six cascades) of IR6 centrifuges.”
