IAEA: Iran informed agency of plans to boost nuclear enrichment at Fordow

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News ID: 50032
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 10:47 - 02 January 2021
Saturday, 02 January 2021_The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran has notified the UN nuclear watchdog that it plans to enrich uranium to up to 20 percent at Fordow facility, near the Iranian city of Qom.

IAEA: Iran informed agency of plans to boost nuclear enrichment at FordowIn a statement released on Friday, the IAEA said the Islamic Republic had sent a letter to the agency on December 31 regarding its decision.

“Iran has informed the Agency that in order to comply with a legal act recently passed by the country’s parliament, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran intends to produce low-enriched uranium (LEU) up to 20 percent at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the statement read.

“Iran’s letter to the Agency ... did not say when this enrichment activity would take place,” it added.

The agency stressed that it “has inspectors present in Iran on a 24/7 basis and they have regular access to Fordow.”

Iran showed to the world the peaceful nature of its nuclear program by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with six world states — namely the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — in 2015. The nuclear deal was also ratified in the form of a UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

However, Washington’s exit in May 2018 and the subsequent reimposition of unilateral sanctions against Tehran left the future of the historic agreement in limbo.

Tehran remained fully compliant with the JCPOA for an entire year, waiting for the co-signatories to fulfill their end of the bargain by offsetting the impacts of Washington’s bans on the Iranian economy.

As the European parties failed to do so, Tehran moved in May 2019 to suspend its JCPOA commitments under Articles 26 and 36 of the agreement covering Tehran’s legal rights.

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