Iranian Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi confirmed that Tehran has started enriching uranium to 60% at the Natanz facility, just days after an explosion at the site which Iran blamed on Israel. Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament stated that Iranian scientists successfully commenced uranium enrichment to 60% at 12:40 AM local time, according to Reuters.
France, Germany, and Britain regarded Iran's announcement regarding its plan to begin enriching uranium to 60% as a "dangerous development," which contradicts the atmosphere of the negotiations in Vienna aimed at rescuing the Iranian nuclear deal. Spokespersons for the foreign ministries of the three countries, signatories of the 2015 agreement, stated, "This is a dangerous development, as the production of highly enriched uranium is an important step towards nuclear weaponization," and "it contradicts the constructive atmosphere and goodwill in the negotiations."
