DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran began enriching uranium to its highest level ever on Friday, moving it closer to weapons levels to press talks in Vienna aimed at re-establishing its nuclear deal with world powers following an attack on its main nuclear site.
A top official said just a few grams of uranium gas per hour would be enriched to 60% purity – three times the level it once did, but much slower than what Tehran could produce. International inspectors have already said Iran planned to do this above ground at its Natanz nuclear site, not deep in its underground halls that have been paved to withstand air strikes.
The move is likely to heighten tensions, even as Iran negotiates in Vienna on a way to get the US back into the deal and lift the crushing economic sanctions it faces. However, its scope also provides a way for Iran to de-escalate quickly if it so chooses.
The announcement also marks a significant escalation following the attack that damaged centrifuges in Natanz, an attack last weekend suspected of being carried out by Israel. While Israel has yet to claim it, it comes amid a long-running shadow war between the two rivals in the Middle East.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker, announced the move in a Twitter message later acknowledged by Iranian state television.
“The young and godly Iranian scientists managed to reach a product of 60% enriched uranium,” said Qalibaf. “I congratulate the brave nation of Islamic Iran on this success. The willpower of the Iranian nation is miraculous and can defuse any conspiracy. “
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, the country’s civil nuclear arm, later acknowledged the move to 60%, according to state television. Ali Akbar Salehi said the centrifuges are now producing 9 grams per hour, but that will drop to 5 grams per hour in the coming days.
“Any level of enrichment we desire is within our grasp at this point and we can do it anytime,” said Salehi.
State television later referred to the decision as a “show of power against terrorist rogue.” Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, similarly said it sent the message that Iran’s nuclear program “will not be stopped by the killing of nuclear scientists and sabotage at nuclear facilities.”
It was not clear why the initial announcement came from Qalibaf, a hard-line former leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who was already being named as a potential presidential candidate in Iran’s upcoming June elections.
While 60% is higher than any level that Iran has previously enriched uranium, it is still below weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Iran had enriched up to 20% – even that was a short technical step to weapons quality. The deal limited Iran’s fortification to 3.67%.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which oversees Iran’s nuclear program, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, it sent its inspectors to Natanz and confirmed that Iran was preparing to start with 60% enrichment at an above-ground facility at the site.
The heightened enrichment could inspire a new response from Israel amid a long-running shadow war between the nations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed never to let Tehran obtain a nuclear weapon, and his country has twice preemptively bombed Middle Eastern countries to stop their nuclear programs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi raised Iran in a tweet during a visit to Cyprus after meeting his Cypriot counterpart.
“We discussed bilateral ties between Israel and Cyprus and regional issues, the most important of which is the importance of stopping Iran’s aggressive activities in the Middle East which are undermining regional stability and endangering the entire world,” wrote he.
Israeli Army Radio reported that the country’s Security Crisis Council would meet on Sunday to discuss Iran’s decision.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, although the West and the IAEA say Tehran had an organized military nuclear program until the end of 2003. An annual US intelligence report released Tuesday upheld the US assessment that “Iran is not currently engaged in the major nuclear weapons development activities that we believe are necessary to produce a nuclear device.”
Iran had previously said it could use up to 60% enriched uranium for nuclear-powered ships. However, the Islamic Republic does not currently have such ships in its navy.
The threat of higher enrichment by Iran had already been criticized by the US and three European countries in the deal – France, Germany and the United Kingdom. On Friday, European Union spokesman Peter Stano called Iran’s decision “a very worrying development”.
“There is no credible explanation or civil justification for such an action on Iran’s side,” Stano said. The Vienna talks aim to “ensure that we move away from such steps that move Iran further away from fulfilling its commitments and obligations.”
Diplomats met again on Friday for talks in Vienna. Following Thursday’s talks, Chinese negotiator Wang Qun called for the elimination of “all confounding factors by making progress in the negotiations as soon as possible, especially by addressing the lifting of sanctions.”
The 2015 nuclear deal, from which former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018, prevented Iran from building enough highly enriched uranium to pursue a nuclear weapon if it chose to lift economic sanctions.
The weekend attack in Natanz was initially described only as a blackout in the power grid that fed both the above-ground workshops and the underground fortification halls – but later Iranian officials began calling it an attack.
Alireza Zakani, the harsh head of the Iranian parliament’s research center, referred in a state television interview to “several thousand centrifuges damaged and destroyed”. However, no other official has offered that figure, and no images of the aftermath have been released.
Satellite images from Planet Labs Inc., analyzed by The Associated Press, show no apparent above-ground damage to the facility.
Associated Press Writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip; Samuel Petrequin in Brussels and David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.