N-action peaceful after IAEA report: Iran

THE ISLAMIC republic has gradually rolled back its nuclear commitments since 2019, a year after then US president Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal and began imposing sanctions.

Tehran, Aug. 18: Iran has stressed its nuclear activities are peaceful and conform to safeguard obligations, after the UN nuclear watchdog said it has established a process to accelerate production of highly enriched uranium.

International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Grossi informed IAEA member states that Iran was boosting such capacity at its Natanz enrichment plant.

“All of (Iran’s) nuclear programmes and actions are in complete compliance with the NPT (NonProliferation Treaty), Iran’s safeguards commitments, under IAEA supervision and previously announced,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Tuesday.

The UN agency verified on Saturday that “Iran had configured a new operational mode for the production of UF6 enriched up to 60 percent U-235,” Grossi said. This involved using two centrifuge cascades compared with one previously, he added.

Iran had started in midApril to enrich uranium to 60 percent. The Islamic republic has gradually rolled back its nuclear commitments since 2019, a

year after then US president Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal and began imposing sanctions.

The 2015 deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive

Plan of Action, gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Iran “will pursue its peaceful nuclear programme based on its needs, sovereign

decisions and within safeguard obligations’ framework until the full and unconditional implementation of the JCPOA by America and other parties,” Khatibzadeh said. —