4.5% uranium enrichment to be completed at Fordow by Saturday: Kamalvandi

Speaking to the Iranian news channel IRINN on Wednesday, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrooz Kamalvandi said that today a 2,800-kilogram cylinder containing about 2,000 kilograms of UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) was transferred from Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan province to Fordow, near the holy city of Qom.

Kamalvandi added that the transfer of the nuclear materials was done under the supervision of the IAEA inspectors.

The nuclear spokesman added that Fordow, where 1,044 centrifuges are installed, Iran agreed under the JCPOA to neither conduct uranium enrichment nor to have nuclear materials, but as part of the fourth step in Iran’s commitment reductions, both uranium enrichment and nuclear materials will be there as of today.

He went on to say that the transfer of nuclear materials to Fordow was the first stage to resume uranium enrichment at the site which was done this morning, adding that other stages will be completed within the next hours.

He further explained that it will take a couple of hours in order for the injected gas into centrifuges to become stable, adding that there will be 4.5% uranium enrichment at Fordow by Saturday when the IAEA inspector return to the site.