Media: Israel may strike Iran if Tehran starts enriching uranium above 60%

23 March 2023


Israel could launch a strike on Iran if Tehran exceeds 60% enrichment of uranium. This was reported by Axios on Wednesday, citing a senior Israeli official.


It is noted that Israel has notified the US and several European countries that such actions by Tehran could provoke Tel Aviv to use military force.

 

According to Axios, citing another official, Iran is aware of Israel's position on the issue.

 

For his part, Islamic Republic Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani rejected accusations from Israel and Germany of trying to obtain nuclear weapons on March 17.

 

Uranium enrichment at Iranian nuclear facilities

 

On October 12, 2022, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami announced the start of uranium enrichment at the third cascade of new generation IR-6 centrifuges installed at the Natanz nuclear facility. According to Reuters, which cited a confidential IAEA report, this was the third of the three cascades launched. According to the report, Iran notified the IAEA that it intended to install three additional IR-2m centrifuge cascades at Natanz in addition to the 12 already planned. The IAEA also informed that an IR-4 cascade and six IR-2m cascades had been installed at the site, but they had not been used for uranium enrichment yet.

 

On November 22, ISNA reported that Iran had started enriching uranium to 60% at the Fordow nuclear facility using IR-6 centrifuges. The agency also confirmed the use of IR-2m and IR-4 centrifuges for uranium enrichment at Natanz.

 

According to the latest IAEA information, the Iranian authorities are planning to significantly expand the production of low-enriched (up to 5% or up to 20%) uranium at Fordow by installing 14 more cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges. In addition, the Islamic Republic intends to develop fuel enrichment activities at Natanz and is going to install a second production building capable of accommodating more than 100 cascades of centrifuges.

 

 

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Based on materials from TASS