Retaliation for attack in Natans: Iran wants to enrich uranium to 60 percent


Retaliation for attack in natans
Iran wants to enrich uranium to 60 percent

According to the nuclear treaty canceled by the USA, Iran is only allowed to enrich its uranium to four percent. The country has now reached 20 percent. Now the mullah regime has announced that it will aim for 60 percent. The move is in retaliation for the attack on the underground nuclear facility at Natans.

After the alleged Israeli attack on its nuclear facility in Natans, Iran wants to increase its uranium enrichment level to 60 percent. According to a report by the state news agency Isna, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also inform the UN Atomic Energy Agency IAEA. Iran has already enriched its uranium to 20 percent, although an international agreement from 2015 actually only allows less than four percent. Tehran blames its archenemy Israel for Sunday’s attack.

Araghchi is currently in Vienna to lead the Iranian delegation in talks on the future of the nuclear deal. According to the Iranian nuclear organization AEOI, preparations for the 60 percent enrichment in Natans should begin in the evening. According to the AEOI, the uranium will be used for medical purposes. At the same time, the production of the new centrifuges, which are supposed to immediately replace the parts damaged in the attack, said the spokesman, according to the Fars news agency.

US intelligence agencies report major damage to Natans

In 2015, Iran committed to keep the degree of enrichment below four percent. But after the US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 – at that time under President Donald Trump – Iran gradually failed to meet its obligations. Tehran had previously warned of the negative impact of the attack on efforts to rescue the agreement. “The incident in Natans is making negotiations more difficult,” said Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the sidelines of talks with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. During his visit to Iran, Lavrov even warned that the international talks would fail. At the same time he criticized the European Union.

According to the Iranian nuclear organization AEOI, the attack on Natans did not cause any major damage. “That was just a light breeze that didn’t even make us shiver,” claimed a spokesman. The “New York Times”, however, citing US intelligence officials, reported that Iran’s uranium enrichment would be set back by at least nine months.

Russia and China sign agreements with Tehran

Russia is one of the countries that are trying to rescue the agreement that was concluded in 2015 between Iran, the five UN veto powers and Germany in Vienna. It is designed to ensure that Iran does not acquire the capabilities to build a nuclear bomb. New negotiations have been in progress since last week.

But it was not until Monday that the EU imposed tougher sanctions against Iran for violating fundamental human rights. This issue raises many questions, Lavrov criticized. “If there is no coordination in the European Union and the right hand does not know what the left is doing, it is a disaster.” If this decision was made consciously in the midst of talks about a rescue of the nuclear deal, that was a mistake. During Lavrov’s visit, the two countries agreed to work more closely together. According to the information, it is about a cooperation in the production of the Russian corona vaccine Sputnik V. Before Russia, Iran had already signed a contract with China at the end of March for a cooperation with a term of 25 years. This clears the way for China to invest.

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