Uranium Enrichment Capacity Reaching Pre-JCPOA Levels

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – The Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says the body is capable of enriching uranium at purity levels of 20.5 or even 60 percent.

While Israel, the U.S., and some Persian Gulf states have claimed that Iran has kept enrichment at 5% level, Iran has the capacity of increasing its enrichment level up to 60 percent, Behrouz Kamalvandi said in a press conference at Fordow nuclear plant on Saturday.

He further noted that the transparency of the actions and activities of each country is verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“We have called on the agency to monitor the steps, and their inspectors will see the samples tomorrow and report the final verification,” continued Kamalvandi.

He also said that November 10th is an important day for the Iranian nuclear industry. “God willing, the second phase of Bushehr power plant will be operational tomorrow and despite all the pressures we will enter the next phase of the third plant after that.”

Although the U.S. does not want Iran to make progress in the nuclear field, it put the name of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in its sanctions list. However, these moves show that good steps have been taken in the nuclear field, and by 2025 the plant will be connected to the grid, and two years later a third plant will be connected, he underlined.

Iran has resumed uranium enrichment at its Fordow nuclear plant, stepping further away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after the United States pulled out of it.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said, the operation began after the transfer of 2,000 kilograms of UF6 from Natanz nuclear facility to Fordow – near the city of Qom, where 1,044 centrifuges are installed.

With regard to an IAEA inspector who was prevented from entering Natanz nuclear site, Kamalvandi stressed on Iran’s security concerns over its nuclear facilities, saying the inspector was not let in the facility as the sensors had detected that she was carrying dangerous materials.

He said in view of the past record of acts of sabotage against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities, Iran will under no circumstances compromise its national security and security of its nuclear facilities.

Noting that the country has resumed some 87% to 90% of pre-JCPOA enrichments, the spokesman said, “our overall enrichment capacity has reached about 9,500 SWU,” which is the level the country held before signing the JCPOA.

“The extent we can go toward 1 million SWU will depend on the capacity of our machines,” he added.

He noted that Iran will not stop its retaliatory measures, adding that the next steps will not be limited to technical issues, and can cover other aspects.

“The AEOI had even considered leaving NPT,” he noted.

Kamalvandi also dismissed the claims that say Iran has a secret warehouse in Tehran.

“Turquzabad is an ordinary place; it is not our site; in our sites, everything is under good control,” he added.

Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that there was a secret atomic warehouse in Tehran’s Turquzabad.

The spokesman also reacted to the EU remaining parties’  comments that described Iran’s decision as “unacceptable” or “grave”, saying the Europeans are not in a position to take the case to the UN Security Council, and they would better live up their obligations to the deal.

Referring to the country’s nuclear capabilities and rejecting the U.S., Israeli regime, and some Arab countries’ claims about the possibility of Iran’s move toward nuclear weapons, he said we are able to enrich uranium up to 60 percent but we will act based on the country’s needs.