VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran has enriched uranium to up to 63% purity at its above-ground Natanz enrichment plant, even higher than the 60% it had announced, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday in a report seen by Reuters, citing fluctuations in enrichment levels.
“According to Iran, fluctuations of the enrichment levels … were experienced,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in the report to its member states.
“The Agency’s analysis of the ES (environmental samples) taken on 22 April 2021 shows an enrichment level of up to 63% U-235, which is consistent with the fluctuations of the enrichment levels (described by Iran),” it added, without saying why the fluctuations had occurred.
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Jonathan Oatis)