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Iran resumes uranium enrichment at Fordow plant in 4th cut to nuclear commitments

Ghanbar Naderi

Press TV, Fordow

 

Iran has officially started injecting gas into hundreds of centrifuges at its Fordow nuclear plant in the fourth step away from the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Iran has resumed uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear plant, stepping further away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after the United States pulled out of it.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the operation began after the transfer of 2,000 kilograms of UF6 from Natanz nuclear facility to Fordow - near the city of Qom, where 1,044 centrifuges are installed.

The 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, allowed the first-generation IR-1 centrifuges at Fordow to spin without uranium gas. The injection of uranium hexafluoride is being monitored by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Kamalvandi said this should send a clear message to the European signatories.

Iran says the suspension of its commitments is not a violation of the nuclear deal, but is based on Articles 26 and 36 of the agreement itself. The fate of the JCPOA has been in doubt since last year, when the US abandoned the deal and reinstated unilateral sanctions against Iran.

Tehran says scaling back its commitments is reversible if the European cosignatories — Britain, Germany and France — uphold their commitments. Tehran also says the Europeans have expressed vocal support for the deal, but failed to provide economic incentives under the nuclear deal.


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