Tehran, SAEDNEWS: “Article 1 of the parliament’s law for Strategic Action to Remove Sanctions requires the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to move to supply the peaceful needs of the country, and if necessary enrich uranium beyond 20% purity level,” Amouyee told FNA.
“In the current situation that we need some radiopharmaceuticals, including molybdenum, the country should produce 60% enriched uranium, and the AEOI is required to start this level of enrichment. Meantime, our country has also taken effective steps in designing nuclear propulsion systems and this system which will be produced in the future will need 60% enriched uranium so that we can make optimal use of ships,” he added.
“60% enrichment is a strong response to the enemies of the Islamic Republic, specially the Zionist regime and the West, including the US; those who have attacked Natanz nuclear site know that based on the international laws, act of sabotage against nuclear facilities is a crime against humanity,” Amouyee said.
An incident was reported at a part of the power network of the Natanz nuclear facility on Sunday morning.
The incident at the power distribution network of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan facility in Natanz has been blamed on Israel. While Tel Aviv officials have made implicit confession of the terrorist attack, the Israeli state and private media have acknowledged Mossad's leading role in the attack.
Iranian officials have vowed retaliation against perpetrators, specially Israel.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to Vienna-based International Organizations Kazzem Qaribabadi slammed Israel as the main culprit behind the recent incident in Natanz nuclear facility, adding that the act of sabotage will not stop enrichment activities in the complex.
“The full responsibility for this act of sabotage lies with the Zionist regime of Israel and its supporters,” Qaribabadi, who is also Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a televised interview, adding the damaged IR-1 centrifuges would be replaced in no time with others capable of 50 percent more enrichment capacity.
He stressed that the latest generation of homegrown centrifuges would also be set up in the nuclear facility in the near future.
In a first move to show Iran's hardening stance in reaction to the Sunday terrorist attack on Natanz nuclear facility, the country declared on Tuesday that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) will initiate preparatory steps to start enriching uranium to the 60% purity level.
"Upon an order by the President, the AEOI has been required to launch 60-percent uranium enrichment line under Article 1 of the Parliament Law on 'Strategic Action to Remove Sanctions' and protect the Iranian nation's interests," AEOI Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told FNA on Tuesday night.
He further added that the International Atomic Energy Agency has been informed of Iran's plan, and pointed out that the 60-percent enriched uranium is used in the production of Molybdenum to be used for the production of different types of radiomedicine, with applications in the treatement of patients including those with cardiac problems.
The spokesman further explained about the preparatory steps to be taken tonight, and said executive plans will go under development to replace the damaged IR1 centrifuges with new machines with a 50-percent higher capacity due to their quality improvements.
Meantime, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi who leads the country's negotiating team in talks with the G4+1 (Russia, China, UK and France plus Germany) in Vienna confirmed the launch of 60-percent enrichment on Tuesday.
"Iran has informed the IAEA director general in a letter today that it plans to start 60-percent enrichment," said Araqchi, who is now in Vienna for a second round of talks with members of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the removal of the US sanctions as a first step to revive the nuclear deal (Source: Fars News).
Senior MP: No Tehran-Washington Talks in Vienna, Production of Uranium Metal Iran’s Next Step
