Vienna – Iran said on Thursday that it was taking additional steps to advance its capacity to enrich uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in Geneva.
The restricted report, came a day after the U.S. slapped Iran with additional sanctions and Iranian President Hassan Rowhani, said the U.S. must lift all sanctions to clear the way for new talks on a nuclear deal.
The IAEA had reported in early September, that Iran was installing additional advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium, but without actually using the chemical that could be refined into reactor fuel or warheads.
However, in its latest update, the Vienna-based nuclear agency said that actual enrichment was being prepared or had started with these machines.
IAEA inspectors in Iran verified that Iran had actually pushed ahead with preparations to install more than 300 additional next-generation centrifuges that could refine uranium more efficiently.
In recent time, Tehran has moved beyond several key nuclear limits set by its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, which aims to curb Iran’s nuclear programme to prevent it from being used to build nuclear weapons.
Iran’s moves are a reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to leave the nuclear pact and to revive sanctions that were originally lifted in return for Iran’s nuclear concessions.(dpa/NAN)
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