Iran expands nuclear programme despite upcoming negotiations
Despite international negotiations planned for the end of November in Vienna, Iran is continuing to expand its nuclear programme unabated, the spokesperson of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced on Friday, according to media reports.
"We have so far produced and stored over 210 kilograms of 20-per-cent enriched uranium and 25 kilograms of 60-per-cent enriched uranium," AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said.
This is a great technological achievement for the country, and no one can take this knowledge away from Iran, the spokesperson said, according to the Fars news agency.
The new achievements are a clear violation of the conditions in the 2015 Vienna nuclear agreement, according to which Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium to less than 4 per cent.
Tehran even claims that it is technically capable of producing uranium up to 90 per cent, and thus uranium suitable for nuclear weapons.
At the same time, the theocratic Islamic state repeatedly emphasizes that it is opposed to the production of any weapons of mass destruction for religious reasons.
On November 29, nuclear negotiations on the restoration of the nuclear agreement with Iran are to continue in Vienna.
They were interrupted after the presidential election in June and the change of government in Tehran.
In Vienna, the EU and the remaining partners in the deal - China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany - are seeking the return of the US to the agreement as well as Iran's return to its technical obligations in the deal.
dpa