Iran on Friday officially increased the purity of uranium it enriches to its highest ever level of 60 percent, a move likely to put further pressure on talks in Vienna to restore its nuclear agreement with world powers. The Associated Press reported that a top Iranian official said a few grams of uranium gas per hour would be enriched to 60 percent purity. The amount is much lower than the weapons-grade level of 90 percent, but much higher than any level Iran has produced thus far. Diplomats reconvened Friday in Vienna after talks resumed the day before on a possible return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, which had prevented Iran from developing enough high-enriched uranium to be able to make nuclear weapons. "We take very seriously its provocative announcement of an intent to begin enriching uranium at 60 percent.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 16, 2021 13:50 UTC