IAEA Officially Confirms Iran Has Started Uranium Enrichment at 60% Level

Following Last Year's 20% Enrichment, Stepwise Increase
Israel Continues to Claim Responsibility Behind Nuclear Facility Blackout Incident

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has officially confirmed that Iran has begun enriching uranium to a concentration of 60%. This is interpreted as a stepwise increase following last year's rise in uranium enrichment concentration to 20%. As Iran protests that Israel and the United States are behind attacks on its nuclear facilities, the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) is expected to face even greater difficulties.

According to the Associated Press and major foreign media on the 17th (local time), the IAEA stated in a press release that "Iran has started producing uranium hexafluoride (UF6) with a concentration of 60% at the Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment facility (PFEP)." UF6 is a compound in gaseous form made from solid uranium produced from natural uranium, and it is the material injected into centrifuge cascades to separate uranium-235 atoms used as nuclear weapon material.

According to major foreign media, a confidential report provided only to IAEA member states stated that "Iran reported enriching UF6 combined with uranium-235 to a concentration of 55.3% at the nuclear fuel enrichment facility," and "the IAEA has secured samples to independently verify the enrichment concentration of the produced UF6 and will announce the analysis results at an appropriate time."

Following the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh at the end of last year, Iran raised the uranium enrichment concentration to 20%, and after the Natanz nuclear facility was attacked on the 11th of this month, it declared it would increase the enrichment concentration to 60%, continuing the stepwise increase.

Iran blames this measure on the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility and accuses Israel and the United States of being behind the nuclear facility attack. With concerns that Iran may further increase uranium enrichment concentration, the Iran nuclear deal is expected to face even greater challenges.