Iran news: Ali Akbar Salehi said on a visit to Fordow enrichment facility on Wednesday that whenever the Establishment decides, 20% uranium enrichment will restart, Iran Press reported.
“Our nuclear activities are advancing very well. Although we have accepted restrictions but they do not prevent us from pursuing peaceful nuclear activities. Enrichment is underway and whenever we decide, we will abandon the 300 kg limit and will enrich uranium at any level and any volume that we wish,” Salehi said.
The Iranian nuclear chief said: “one of the restrictions that we have accepted is the amount and percentage of enrichment that we have decided to limit to 3.67,” adding that as long as the nuclear deal also known as the JCPOA exists, Iran will not enrich uranium to 20%.
He stressed that 3% enrichment is still going on at the moment, which means Iran nuclear activities have not stopped, adding “we have 1044 centrifuges machines at Fordow and whenever the Establishment decides, we will resume 20% uranium enrichment.”
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Meanwhile, he underlined that the JCPOA Supervisory Board is always monitoring the circumstances and decides properly in accordance with national interests.
“As I have said many times before and I would like to give this warning again that this is not bluff. I stand by my words. I would like to stress again that we can return to 20% enrichment if the Establishment decides,” he noted.
Salehi said that Iran is building two huge plants, which will cost about $ 10 billion. He also appreciated the facilities and opportunities that the European Union has provided to Iran after the implementation of the JCPOA.
He further explained that the Europeans are cooperating with Iran on building a highly advanced nuclear safety center in the country, adding that the European Union is committed to invest about $ 20 million in the project.
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The Iranian nuclear chief said the through the cooperation of the Europeans, Iran is going to secure its nuclear facilities, including its power plants, the Tehran reactor and the reactor which is under construction in Arak.
In early June, Ayatollah Khamenei ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to make preparations for the enrichment of uranium up to a level of 190,000 SWU without any delay in the framework provided by the JCPOA.
On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the US exit of the JCPOA, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
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Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the JCPOA running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the Europeans. 103/207
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