Speaking in an interview with IRNA on Monday, Kazem Gharibabadi stated, “Following the submitting amendment of information questionnaire of Fordow nuclear facility design to IAEA and presence of inspectors on this site today to verify information provided and remove seal of cylinder containing 4.1% uranium, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in a report confirmed the start of enriching uranium up to 20%.”
In this report, IAEA’s inspectors removed seal of a cylinder as weigh as 137.2 kg of 4.1% uranium and this cylinder was connected to the production line and consequently, production of uranium up to 20% enrichment started by the Islamic Republic of Iran, Gharibabadi added.
This action was taken following a letter sent from Iran to IAEA on Dec. 31, he said, adding, “In this letter, which was informed to the member states, it is reiterated that according to a recent bylaw of Iranian Parliament and in order to comply with this bylaw, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) intends to enrich uranium up to 20% in Fordow Nuclear Facility. The information questionnaire of designing Fordow Nuclear Facility will also be updated subsequently.”
Earlier, Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei announced that process of producing uranium with 20% enrichment started at Shahid Alimohammadi (Fordow) Nuclear Facility.
Rabiei pointed to the way of implementation of the Parliament’s counteractive plan to lift sanctions and added, “The government has already announced that it considers the law passed by parliament to be binding and will adhere to it.”
In the past few days, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the launch of 20% enrichment and a few hours ago, after initial steps such as informing the International Atomic Energy Agency and submitting a questionnaire based on country's safeguard obligations, the gas injection process began and the first product of "UF6" will be obtained in a few hours.
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