BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 22. Iran started the production of the 60-percent enriched uranium (UF6) for the first time at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), on November 21, 2022, in response to the latest resolution of the Board of Directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Trend reports referring to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
According to the report, Iran is making maximum use of the facilities of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant to increase the production of enriched uranium.
In addition, Iran continues the production of 60-percent enriched uranium at its Natanz nuclear facility too.
Currently, the 1st generation centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility are being replaced with modern ‘IR6’ centrifuges. The replacement of centrifuges will lead to a noticeable increase in production.
At the same time, Iran injected gas into the cascade where the ‘IR-2m’ and ‘IR-4’ centrifuges are located at the Natanz nuclear facility, and gas will be injected into two more cascades in the coming days.
With the establishment of the B1000 unit at the Natanz nuclear facility, there will be 8 new cascades will be implemented in stages.
On November 18, 2022, the Board of Directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a new resolution against Iran's nuclear program.
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. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
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