DUBAI, UAE (Iran) – Iran began uranium enrichment on Friday to its highest level, approaching arms levels in pressure talks in Vienna to restore its nuclear deal with world powers after an attack on the main its atomic site.
A senior official said that just a few grams per hour of uranium gas would be enriched with up to 60% purity – three times the level it once did, but at a much slower rate than Tehran could produce. International inspectors have already said that Iran intends to do so above ground at its Natanz nuclear site, not deep in its underground underground halls to withstand airstrikes.
The move is likely to increase tensions even as Iran negotiates in Vienna to allow the US to return to the agreement and lift the crushing economic sanctions it faces. However, its scope also gives Iran a way to decline rapidly if it has chosen.
The announcement also marks a significant escalation after the attack that damaged the centrifuges at Natanz, an attack last weekend, suspected to have been carried out by Israel. While Israel has not yet claimed it, it comes amid a long-running shadow war between the two rivals in the Middle East.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, announced the move in a post on Twitter later recognized by Iranian state television.
“Iran’s young and faithful scientists have managed to obtain a 60% enriched uranium product,” Qalibaf said. “I congratulate the brave nation of Islamic Iran for this success. The willpower of the Iranian nation is miraculous and can defuse any conspiracy. “
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the country’s civilian nuclear arm, later acknowledged the move to 60%, according to state TV. Ali Akbar Salehi said the centrifuges now produce 9 grams per hour, but that will drop to 5 grams per hour in the coming days.
“Any level of enrichment we want is within our reach right now and we can do it anytime we want,” Salehi said.
State television later referred to the decision as “a show of power against terrorist evil.” Mahmoud Vaezi, the chief of staff of Iran’s president, similarly said he had sent the message that Iran’s nuclear program “will not be stopped by the assassination of nuclear scientists and sabotage in nuclear facilities.”
It was unclear why the first announcement came from Qalibaf, a former tough leader in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, already named as a potential presidential candidate in Iran’s upcoming June elections.
While 60% is higher than any level, Iran has enriched uranium previously, it is still lower than 90% arms levels.
Iran has enriched up to 20% – even that was a short technical step to the quality of weapons. The agreement limited Iran’s enrichment to 3.67%.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors Iran’s nuclear program, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, he sent his inspectors to Natanz and confirmed that Iran is preparing to start enriching 60% in an above-ground facility.
Enhanced enrichment could inspire further response from Israel amid a long-running shadow war between nations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed never to allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and his country has twice pre-emptively bombed Middle Eastern nations to stop their nuclear programs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on a visit to Cyprus, tweeted to Iran after meeting with his Cypriot counterpart.
“We discussed bilateral ties between Israel and Cyprus, as well as regional issues, most notably the importance of stopping Iran’s aggressive activities in the Middle East, which undermine regional stability and pose a danger to the world,” he wrote.
Israeli military radio reported that the country’s security crisis council will meet on Sunday to discuss Iran’s decision.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, although the West and the IAEA say Tehran has organized a military nuclear program until the end of 2003. An annual US intelligence report released on Tuesday maintained the US assessment that “Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear nucleus the weapons development activities we judge would be necessary to produce a nuclear device. ”
Iran has previously said it can use up to 60% enriched uranium for nuclear-powered ships. However, the Islamic Republic does not currently have such ships in its navy.
The threat of further enrichment of Iran has already attracted criticism from the US and three European nations under the agreement – France, Germany and the United Kingdom. On Friday, European Union spokesman Peter Stano called Iran’s decision a “very worrying development.”
“There is no credible explanation or civil justification for such action by Iran,” Stano said. The talks in Vienna are aimed at “making sure that we turn away from such steps that take Iran further from fulfilling its commitments and obligations.”
Diplomats met on Friday for talks in Vienna. After talks on Thursday, Chinese negotiator Wang Qun called for the elimination of “all disruptive factors, moving forward as quickly as we can in the negotiating work, especially by reducing sanctions.”
The 2015 nuclear deal, from which former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018, prevented Iran from storing enough rich uranium to be able to pursue a nuclear weapon if it chose to lift economic sanctions in exchange.
The weekend attack on Natanz was initially described only as a power outage that powers both its above-ground workshops and underground enrichment halls – but later Iranian officials began calling the attack.
Alireza Zakani, the harsh head of the Iranian parliament’s research center, referred to “several thousand damaged and destroyed centrifuges” in a state TV interview. However, no other official provided that figure and no images of the consequences were published.
Satellite images from Planet Labs Inc., analyzed by The Associated Press, show no apparent surface damage to the installation.
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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi of Tehran, Iran; Akram Tariffs in Gaza City, Gaza Strip; Samuel Petrequin in Brussels and David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.