Iran Lifts Production Capacity of Uranium Close to Weapons Grade
- IAEA monitors say Tehran doubled 60% uranium enrichment scope
- U.S. warned Iran this week not to escalate atomic work further
Iran’s Natanz fuel enrichment plant.
Photographer: DigitalGlobe/Getty Images
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Iran has nearly doubled its enrichment capacity dedicated to purifying uranium close to the levels required for nuclear weapons, signaling it won’t de-escalate its atomic activities before meeting again with world powers.
Inspectors verified on Aug. 15 that Iran introduced a second cascade of nuclear centrifuges to produced uranium enriched to 60% purity at a fuel plant in Natanz, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in reply to questions. The machines spin at supersonic speeds to separate the uranium isotopes needed to induce fission.