Iran Says It Can Produce 20% Enriched Uranium In 2 Days

Iran is capable of resuming production of 20 percent enriched uranium within two days, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said Tuesday.

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“If Iran decides, it can have 20 percent enriched fuel within one to two days,” Fars News Agency quoted Kamalvandi as saying.

Enriching uranium up to 20 percent purity is considered an important intermediate stage on the path to obtaining the 90 percent pure fissile uranium needed for a bomb.

Iran had previously said that they would continue to enrich Uranium production unless the U.S. President Donald Trump lifts sanctions. 

The conflict between Iran and the West escalated since Trump decided last year to abandon the nuclear deal under which Iran agreed to curtail its atomic program in return for relief from economic sanctions crippling its economy. Trump also reimposed sanctions on Iran while the latter sought to enrich uranium beyond the permitted amount as a challenge to the North American country. 

Unlike the U.S., the European countries are wary of imposing sanctions on Iran, even if it cuts some of its nuclear commitments under the deal. 

During the G7 Summit in Biarritz, Trump appeared to brush aside French efforts to mediate with Iran, saying that while he was happy for Macron to reach out to Tehran to defuse tensions, but he would carry on with his own initiatives.

France said G7 leaders had agreed that Macron should hold talks and pass on messages to Iran. However, Trump, who has pushed a maximum pressure policy on Iran, distanced himself from the proposal, saying he had not even discussed it.