Iran boosts uranium enrichment levels after attack on facility

IRAN said yesterday it would dramatically increase its uranium enrichment levels in response to an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility, a further breach of its nuclear deal with world powers that talks are struggling to salvage.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister who is leading negotiations in Vienna on saving the nuclear deal that are to resume this week, said Tehran would begin enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity, up from the 20 per cent it is currently producing.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action limited enrichment to 3.67 per cent but Iran has reduced its adherence to the pact since Donald Trump, when president, unilaterally withdrew the United States three years ago. Enrichment

of this level is still short of the 90 per cent needed to produce nuclear weapons. There are civilian applications for highly enriched uranium, including for research and fuel for nuclear-powered ships.

Mr Araghchi cited medical purposes as the ostensible reason for the 1,000 new centrifuges that he said would be added to the Natanz facility, which was damaged in an apparent sabotage bid last week.

Iran promised revenge for the attack, which it blamed on Israel. The Israelis have not formally commented.

Javad Zarid, Iran’s foreign minister, yesterday said Israel had made a “very bad gamble if it thought that the attack will weaken Iran’s hand in the nuclear talks. On the contrary, it will strengthen our position”.

The move to increase enrichment – which could enable Iran’s growing uranium stockpile to be further enriched to weapons-grade in a shorter time frame – will up the ante for talks in the Austrian capital this week.

The remaining signatories to the agreement – Iran, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China – are discussing a US return to the pact. A delegation from Washington is in Vienna but is not meeting directly with Iranian officials.

Israel vehemently opposes a US return to the deal, arguing instead for a new deal that addresses Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for proxy forces across the region.

Iranian-backed al-alam television reported yesterday that an Israeliowned vessel was struck off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. There were no reported casualties and no immediate claim of responsibility.