2021-04-20 13:20:00
IRAN'S URANIUM UP TO 60%
WNN - 19 April 2021 - Iran on 17 April began enriching uranium up to 60%, after previously notifying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intention to do so. Enrichment to 60% uranium-235 is being carried out in two cascades of IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges at the Natanz facility.
"The Agency today [17 April] verified that Iran had begun the production of UF6 enriched up to 60% by feeding UF6 enriched up to 5% into the two cascades of IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges in R&D lines," Kazem Gharibabadi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office in Vienna, tweeted.
Gharibabadi had previously on 13 April notified the IAEA that Iran would begin enriching uranium to 60%, which he said would improve the "quality and quantity" of radiopharmaceuticals produced by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI). The move, he said, was in response to a recent incident at the Natanz facility, described by AEOI head Ali Akbar Salehi as an "act of sabotage".
The governments of France, Germany and the UK on 14 April responded to Iran's plans to enrich to 60% with "grave concern", while US President Joe Biden on 16 April, said the move was not "at all helpful" and was contrary to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). "We are, though, nonetheless pleased that Iran has continued to agree to engage … in direct discussions with us and with our partners on how we move forward and what is needed to allow us to move back into the [JCPoA]," he said.
-----
Earlier:
2021, April, 12, 09:50:00
IRAN, U.S. TALKS
Iran has insisted that the US drop all the sanctions it unilaterally imposed after withdrawing from the deal in 2018, while US officials have maintained that Iranian nuclear violations of the agreement must be rectified first.
2021, April, 7, 10:30:00
U.S., IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Iran met in Vienna with the remaining signatories of the deal – the EU, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany. While the US was also in Vienna, it did not participate directly in those talks but met separately with the deal signatories in a different part of the city.
2021, April, 6, 14:15:00
NO IRAN SANCTIONS
Iranian crude production has risen in recent months, hitting 2.14 million b/d in February, a 190,000 b/d increase from a 33-year low of 1.95 million b/d in August.
2021, March, 29, 13:10:00
IRAN, CHINA COOPERATION
"Based on this document, China will be a steady importer of Iran's oil, and Iran should remove China's concerns for return of its investment,"
2021, February, 16, 12:00:00
IRAN'S OIL & SANCTIONS
Iran, which sits on the world’s fourth-largest oil reserves, relies heavily on oil revenue, but sanctions have prevented it from pumping at anywhere near capacity since 2018.
2021, February, 10, 11:45:00
IRAQ COMITTED TO OPEC+
"Iraq is committed to the [OPEC+] agreement to cut production in light of the current challenges facing the international oil market and global oil producers due to the coronavirus that led to the contraction and recession in the global economy," Karim Hattab told INA.
