BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 28,
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
The amount of uranium enriched by Iran at 20 percent is currently 17 kilograms, Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Agency Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi told journalists, Trend reports citing Fars news agency.
According to him, the potential of Iran's nuclear industry has developed significantly compared to previous years.
Kamalvandi added that the centrifuges are produced in Iran. In less than three months, 1,000 units of IR2m centrifuges will be installed in Iran.
The spokesman noted that Iran's nuclear activities are not limited to enrichment. Iran has made great strides in the production of yellow cake and oxygen-18 in the area ofthe radioisotope.
The Iranian parliament has recently decided to implement a strategic plan to lift sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran.
In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year.
To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.
On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.
Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA on Sept.5.
On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.
The US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals.