Iran moves to boost uranium enrichment capacity

Iran has decided to increase its uranium enrichment capacity, said Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), News.az reports citing Mehr news agency.

He underlined that the IAEA inspections would naturally grow as well.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Saturday, Eslami commented on Iran’s recent decision to approve tougher safeguards measures by the IAEA, such as inspections, at the Fordow uranium enrichment facility.

He said it is totally natural for a country with nuclear activities to allow a change in the level of monitoring when a change in the scale of enrichment takes place.

Eslami said Iran has decided to increase the uranium enrichment capacity and the frequency of IAEA inspections would naturally grow as well.

“We are acting within the framework of the IAEA, which oversees Iran’s activities. It is natural that when, for example, three (uranium enrichment) units increase to five units, the monitoring will proportionally increase,” he noted.

Eslami stated that the IAEA is overseeing Iran’s nuclear activities in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) without any restriction.

News.Az