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Iranian nuclear chief explains halting 20 percent uranium enrichment

Iran Materials 21 January 2014 13:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Umid Niayesh, Saeed Isayev - Trend:

Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO), Ali Akbar Salehi, has explained the details of halting 20 percent uranium enrichment in Iran during a live TV programme, Mehr news agency reported on Jan. 21.

"Overall, six cascades each one composed of the 164 connected centrifuges have been disconnected on Jan. 20." he said.

Salehi also said that centrifuge cascades at Natanz and Fordow sites were used to produce 19.75 percent enriched uranium, but after disconnection the centrifuges are producing 3.5 percent pure U-235 (LEU)".

Iran has installed 18,458 IR-1 centrifuges and 1008 IR-2m centrifuges, of which only 9000 are active, based on the IAEA's recent report released on November 2013.

"Up until now, Iran used to produce 10 kg of 19.75 percent uranium at Fordow and 5kg at the Natanz plant on a monthly basis," he said.

Salehi added that Iran diluted a half of its 196 kg of 19.75 percent enriched uranium stockpile and converted the rest to U3O8 (oxide uranium).

He said that about 400 to 450 kg of LEU is produced from diluted nearly 20 percent pure U-235.

Iran holds 10,375 kg of LEU, the IAEA report said in November.

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