MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. The story about Iran allegedly enriching uranium to 84% purity can be considered over because the actual enrichment level did not exceed 60%, Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said in an interview with TASS.
Bloomberg reported earlier, citing sources, that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts had found particles enriched to about 84% purity during an inspection. Reuters said later, citing an IAEA report, that the IAEA maintained contact with Tehran on the origin of uranium particles enriched to up to 83.7% purity. Meanwhile, Iran informed the agency about "unintended fluctuations" in enrichment levels.
"This chapter can be considered closed. The thing is that insignificant emissions of higher enriched particles may be released during the uranium enrichment process," Ulyanov pointed out.
The Russian envoy stressed that the final product’s enrichment level did not exceed 60%. "This is what happened in Iran, a deeper examination by the IAEA showed," he added.
Bloomberg points out that creating nuclear weapons requires uranium enriched to 90% purity. According to Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran has not yet tried to enrich uranium to higher than 60%. The Euronews TV channel has reported that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi plans to meet with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to Tehran on March 4 to discuss relaunching the dialogue on the nuclear deal.