Iran begins first response to scientist’s assassination by raising uranium enrichment

The Director of the Iranian Presidency Office, Mahmoud Vaezi, said on Wednesday, that the Iranian Atomic Energy Commission is preparing action plans in accordance with the law to cancel restrictions imposed on the nuclear file approved by Parliament, including raising uranium enrichment to 20%.

In statements to Iranian state television, Vaezi said, “The Iranian Atomic Energy Authority is preparing action plans in accordance with the law to cancel restrictions imposed on the nuclear file approved by Parliament, and the various bodies must implement all the items listed in the law, including raising enrichment to 20 percent.” .

“After preparing the appropriate ground, 120 kg of uranium enriched to 20 percent must be enriched within a year,” Vaezi added.

Last Sunday, the Iranian parliament voted in favor of obliging the government to raise the rate of uranium enrichment, in a new development that follows Iran’s previous decision to reduce its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal in response to the US withdrawal from it.

The head of the Energy Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Fereydoun Abbasi, announced that work will be done on enriching uranium at 20 percent, removing inspectors from the International Atomic Agency, ending cooperation with it, and withdrawing from the nuclear agreement.

This move comes in response to the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh near Tehran on November 27th.

Following the assassination, Iran emphasized Israeli regime’s role in the killing of Fakhrizadeh, as the nuclear scientist was previously mentioned in a speech by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.