< p>Iran's decision to accelerate its production of enriched uranium is a “message“ after the adoption of a critical resolution at the initiative of the European countries, condemning its nuclear activities, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said today, quoted by France Press, writes BTA.
„This is a message. It is a clear message in response to what they (Iranians, note AFP) consider pressure,”, Grossi told AFP in Bahrain within the framework of the Dialogue Forum in Manama.
Iran “drastically“ is accelerating the enrichment of uranium to 60 percent purity, close to the level of about 90 percent needed to produce a nuclear weapon, Grossi told Reuters today.
The IAEA later confirmed in a confidential report that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment process, a process in which raw material is refined so that it can be used as fuel in civilian nuclear power production or potentially for nuclear weapons. .
The IAEA findings will heighten alarm in Western countries, which argue that Iran has no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level as part of any civilian program and that no other country has done so without produced nuclear bombs. Iran denies that it is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Tehran already has enough material enriched to 60 percent purity to produce four nuclear weapons if it enriches those amounts further, according to IAEA data.
„Today, the agency is announcing that (Iran's) production capacity is increasing dramatically with purity up to 60 percent,” Grossi said in Bahrain.
He added that Iran's production capacity will grow to “seven, eight times more, maybe, or even more” from the current 5-7 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity per month.
Iran's increase in the amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity is a serious escalation and worsens diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes over its nuclear program, a German foreign ministry source told Reuters today.
“This is a serious escalation step on the part of Iran, which we categorically condemn. It is obvious that such measures significantly worsen the framework of diplomatic efforts”, the source added.