“If we want to build [nuclear] propellers, the level of enriched uranium is something between 3.67% and above 90%, but this depends on our propeller,” Mojtaba Zonnour told Fars news agency after Iran announced on Sunday that it will start enriching uranium at level higher than the 3.67% permitted under the JCPOA at the end of 60-day deadline it had given to other parties to live up to their commitments.
Zonnour said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has stepped in a new path in terms of enrichment and its percentage and will continue the work in the future.
The senior lawmaker added that in the first step Iran can increase enrichment to 5% to fuel nuclear reactors and power plants like Bushehr plant, but it may increase the level of uranium enrichment to pre-JCPOA era to 20% in order to produce radiopharmaceutical and fuel research reactors like the 5 MW Razi research reactor in Tehran.
He also went on to say that to build nuclear batteries for submarines and other maritime uses, Iran may need to enrich uranium up to 60%.
The lawmaker also pointed out that Iran may decide to operationalize new and old Arak reactors together if the other side does not carry out its obligations.
Zonnour further noted that the Islamic Republic prefers the Arak reactor is redesigned and optimized, but if the other side does not compensate for the delay and backwardness, the Islamic Republic has the right to operationalize the old Arak reactor.
KI/FNA13980416000828