Iran increased the purity to which it is refining uranium to 60% fissile purity from 20% in April in response to an explosion and power cut at its Natanz Nuclear Site that damaged output at the main underground enrichment plant there.
In May, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran was using one cascade, or cluster, of advanced centrifuges to enrich to up to 60% at its above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz Nuclear Facility. The IAEA informed member states on Tuesday that Iran was now using a second cascade for that purpose, too.
Where before Iran was using 164 IR-6 centrifuges to enrich up to 60% it was now using that cascade and another of 153 IR-4 machines for that work, the IAEA report said.
On Monday, the IAEA said Iran had made progress in its work on enriched uranium metal despite objections by Western powers. Iran Iran rejects western powers objection and says its aims are peaceful and it is developing reactor fuel.
MA/PR