Iran admits accusations of enriching uranium up to 84%

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Iran on Thursday bluntly acknowledged an accusation made by international inspectors that it had enriched uranium to 84 percent purity for the first time, bringing the Islamic Republic closer to a nuclear weapon.

Recognition as a news website linked to the highest echelons of the Iranian theocracy renews pressure on the West to turn to Tehran's nuclear program, which was limited by the 2015 nuclear deal that America unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.
< br />Thursday's confession came from Iranian website Nour News, which is affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which is run by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nour News is separately being sanctioned by Canada for “engaging in gross and systematic human rights violations and continuing disinformation activities.” to justify the Iranian regime's repression and persecution of its citizens.”

Nour News's comments follow several days of confusing Iran's comments not directly acknowledging the accusations of IAEA inspectors.

Bloomberg first reported on Sunday that inspectors had found particles of uranium enriched up to 84%. The IAEA, a United Nations agency based in Vienna, did not deny the report, saying only that it was “discussing with Iran the results of the agency's recent verification activities.”

In its comments on Thursday, Nour News urged the IAEA to “not succumb to the temptations of Western countries.” and declare that Iran's nuclear program is “completely peaceful”.

“It will soon become clear that the unexpected IAEA report on the discovery of particles of 84% enriched uranium at Iranian enrichment facilities was an inspector's mistake or a deliberate act to create a political atmosphere against Iran on the eve of the meeting.” of his board, wrote Nour News on Twitter. The IAEA council will meet on March 6 in Vienna.

It was not immediately clear where the 84 percent enrichment allegedly occurred, although the IAEA said it had discovered two cascades of advanced IR- centrifuges 6 at the Iranian underground facility in Fordow “connected to each other in a way that differs significantly from the declared mode of operation last November.” level, which, according to non-proliferation experts, can no longer be used by Tehran for civilian purposes.

Iran also enriches uranium at its nuclear facility in Natanz.

Weapons-grade uranium is enriched up to 90%. Although the Director General of the IAEA warned that Iran now has enough uranium to produce “several” nuclear bombs if he so chooses. But it will probably take another months to create a weapon.

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