TEHRAN, November 22. /TASS/. Iran has started enriching uranium to 60% purity at the Fordow nuclear facility, the ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
According to the news outlet, the decision was made in response to a resolution on the Iranian nuclear program adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, which had been drafted by the United States and three European countries (the United Kingdom, France and Germany).
The news outlet also confirmed the use of IR-2m and IR-4 centrifuge cascades for uranium enrichment purposes at the Natanz facility.
On January 1, 2021, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi informed the agency’s Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council of Iran’s plans to start enriching uranium to 20% purity. On January 4, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabii stated that Tehran had launched the process of enriching uranium to 20% purity at the Fordow site. Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami confirmed on October 12, 2022, that uranium enrichment had begun at the third IR-6 centrifuge cascade in Natanz. Reuters reported, citing an IAEA confidential report, that it was the third cascade out of the three that had been planned to be put into operation.
According to the report, Iran informed the IAEA of its plans to add three IR-2m centrifuge cascades to the 12 ones that had been expected to be installed at the Natanz nuclear site. Besides, the IAEA was informed that an IR-4 centrifuge cascade and six IR-2m centrifuge cascades had been installed at the facility, but they were not being used for uranium enrichment at the time.
The IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution on November 17, calling for compliance with the obligations under the safeguards agreement of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In addition, the IAEA demanded that Iran immediately explain the origin of nuclear material found at the country’s undeclared locations and provide related documents and access to those locations. As many as 26 out of the 35 member states voted in favor of the resolution, five abstained, while Russia and China voted against it.