Centrifuges at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. File photoMOSCOW, Aug 29The IAEA says Iran has begun enriching uranium using one of three cascades of modified IR-6 centrifuges that were recently installed at the Natanz underground facility, Reuters reported, citing an agency report. began to use a cascade of 174 machines to enrich uranium to 5%. Another cascade at this facility is undergoing passivation, which is necessary before enrichment can begin, and material has not yet begun to be fed to the third cascade. 2% uranium-235 into IR-6 cascades … for the production of UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) enriched up to 5%,» the IAEA report says. In 2015, the UK, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, France and Iran signed a nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which involved the lifting of sanctions in exchange for limiting Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. In response, Iran announced a phased reduction in its obligations under the agreement, waiving restrictions on nuclear research, centrifuges and the level of uranium enrichment.Iran announced the launch of hundreds of centrifuges for uranium enrichmentIn Vienna, negotiations were held to renew the JCPOA and lift Washington's sanctions against Tehran. In December 2021, the parties reached an agreement on two draft agreements, in which the European side included the positions of Iran. According to Iranian representative Bagheri Kyani, the negotiations were successful, but the representative of the US State Department, Ned Price, assessed the progress in Vienna as modest, urging Tehran to take the issue seriously. nuclear deal, and expressed his opinion on the «remaining issues» in the negotiations. The EU called Iran's response to the nuclear deal proposal constructive and said it was consulting with the United States on further steps. The Iranian side received a response from the United States on August 24. Consideration of the comments of the US government has been going on for several days.
