U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Confirms Iran Enriching Uranium to 60%
18 Apr 2021
Iran has begun enriching uranium to 60 percent dangerously close to weapons-grade at an “aboveground facility” at its Natanz nuclear enrichment plant, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday, confirming an earlier statement made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani who said the move came as a direct response to Israel’s “nuclear terrorism” at the plant days earlier.
“The Agency today verified that Iran had begun the production of UF6 enriched up to 60% U-235 by feeding UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235 simultaneously into two cascades of IR-4 centrifuges and IR-6 centrifuges at the Natanz Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement to the Reuters news agency.
Iran names suspect in Natanz attack claiming Interpol has issued a red notice thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
World
Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran named a suspect Saturday in the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the country “hours before” the sabotage happened.
State television named the suspect as 43-year-old Reza Karimi. It showed a passport-style photograph of a man it identified as Karimi, saying he was born in the nearby city of Kashan, Iran. The report also aired what appeared to be an Interpol “red notice” seeking his arrest and said “necessary actions” are underway to bring Karimi back to Iran through legal channels, without elaborating.
In the report, authorities acknowledged for the first time that an explosion struck the Natanz facility. There was a “limited explosion of a small part of the electricity-feeding path to the centrifuges hall,” the TV report said. “The explosion happened because of the function of explosive materials, and there was no cyberattack.”