VIENNA, December 27. /TASS/. Iran would refrain from boosting its uranium enrichment operations, if the United States and the E3 group of nations (the United Kingdom, France and Germany) had not blocked the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program in 2022, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna said.

"According to the IAEA report, Iran has reversed a months-long slowdown in the rate at which it is enriching uranium to 60% purity. For your information: if the US and the E3 had not blocked the restoration of the JCPOA last year, the enrichment level in Iran would not exceed 3.67% now," Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said.

Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing the IAEA report, that Iran had reversed the slowdown in the rate at which it is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to weapons grade. According to the report, Iranian plants had been enriching uranium to up to 60% at a rate of about 3 kg a month. The process has taken place since the end of November 2023, at two enrichment facilities: Fordow and Natanz.

In November, the news agency reported with reference to a confidential IAEA report that Iran has enough uranium enriched to 60% to make three nuclear bombs. By the IAEA's theoretical definition, around 42 kg of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which making a nuclear bomb with it cannot be excluded.