Iran multiplying pace of uranium enrichment to near bomb grade -IAEA report

Iran is multiplying the pace at which it is enriching uranium to close to bomb grade, mainly at its Fordow site dug into a mountain, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report to member states on Friday seen by Reuters.

The International Atomic Energy Agency verified on Thursday that Iran had started feeding uranium hexafluoride gas enriched to up to 20% instead of the previous 5% into two interconnected cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Fordow enriching to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% of weapons grade, the report said.

That meant the pace at which Iran would enrich to 60% would increase dramatically, the report showed, naming a monthly production rate of over 34 kg at Fordow alone. A quarterly IAEA report last month showed Iran's total production rate at that level at two sites including Fordow was roughly 6 kg a month.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)