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A nuclear facility in Iran, here on an archive image from 2012
Photo: Iranian State Television Irib // picture alliance / dpa
The move is controversial: Iran has started increasing its uranium enrichment at the Fordo nuclear facility.
"The technical procedure for uranium enrichment to 20 percent began a few hours ago in Fordo," said government spokesman Ali Rabiei to the government portal Dolat.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed about the process and the new Atomic Energy Act, which among other things provides for an increase in uranium enrichment to 20 percent.
The country is thus violating the 2015 Vienna Atomic Energy Act, which it announced to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a few days ago.
The Vienna Agreement stipulated that Iran may enrich uranium up to a maximum of 3.67 percent.
After US President Donald Trump unilaterally terminated the agreement in 2018, Iran began to gradually withdraw from its commitments.
There was also resistance to enrichment in Iran.
The law must be implemented despite concerns within the government, said the spokesman.
Both the Iranian nuclear energy organization AEOI and President Hassan Rohani are against the recently passed new nuclear law, but according to the constitution they are bound by it.
According to the law, the AEOI should produce and store 120 kilograms of 20 percent uranium per year.
The law was brought through parliament by hardliners and government opponents.
The law was in response to the assassination attempt on Iranian nuclear researcher and General Mohsen Fakhrizahdeh, who was killed in the attack.
Iran blames Israel for his death.
President Rouhani reportedly found the law politically unwise.
In his view, it jeopardizes diplomatic efforts to rescue the Vienna Agreement after future American President Joe Biden, who will be sworn in on January 20, has taken office.
Tehran is hoping for the lifting of the related US sanctions that plunged the country into the worst economic crisis in recent history.
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