Iran has admitted to accusations of enriching uranium to 84%. WGN Radio 720

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Thursday directly admitted accusations by international inspectors that it had enriched uranium to 84% purity for the first time.

The approval by a news website linked to the pinnacle of Iran’s theocracy urged Western powers to deal with Tehran’s plans, which were locked up by the 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Giving new pressure. .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently regained the premiership of Israel, has already threatened military actions similar to those when Israel previously bombed its nuclear programs in Iraq and Syria. never broke out, but Iran has ballistic missiles, drones and other weapons that Iran and its allies are already using in the region.

Thursday’s confirmation came from Iran’s Nour News, a website linked to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which is overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nour News said it had “participated in gross and systematic human rights violations and perpetuated disinformation campaigns to justify the Iranian regime’s repression and persecution of its citizens” amid nationwide protests. Individually sanctioned by Canada.

The comments by Nour News follow days of confused comments by Iran, which has not directly acknowledged accusations by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors that it has enriched to 84%.

Bloomberg first reported Sunday that inspectors had detected uranium particles enriched by up to 84%. The Vienna-based UN agency, he said, did not deny the report, only saying that “the IAEA is discussing the results of recent agency verification activities with Iran.”

In comments on Thursday, Noor News urged the IAEA “not to fall prey to the temptations of the West” and declared Iran’s nuclear program to be “perfectly peaceful.”

“The IAEA’s startling report of finding 84% enriched uranium particles at an Iranian enrichment facility was either a mistake by inspectors or a deliberate action to create a political atmosphere against Iran on the eve of the conference. What happened will be revealed soon,” the board said on Nour News and Twitter. The Board, the group of countries that oversees the IAEA, will meet in Vienna from 6 March.

The IAEA did not immediately respond to Thursday’s request for comment on Nour News’ remarks.

It was not immediately clear where the 84% enrichment was allegedly done, but the IAEA said two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges were “declared” at Iran’s underground Ford facility. “They are interconnected in a way that is significantly different from the mode of operation that we have seen.” From Iran last November to distributors.” Iran is known to enrich uranium up to 60% pure in Ford – at levels non-proliferation experts have already said, for civilian use in Tehran. says no.

Iran is also enriching uranium at its Natanz nuclear facility.

Weapon-grade uranium is enriched to 90%. The IAEA director-general warned Iran had enough uranium to build “several” nuclear bombs if it chose, but would build weapons, miniaturize them and put them on missiles. is likely to take several more months.

New tensions over Iranian programs come against the backdrop of a shadow war between Iran and Israel that has spread across the Middle East. Netanyahu, who has long advocated military action against Iran, made the remarks in a speech this week.

“How do you stop rogue states from acquiring nuclear weapons?” Netanyahu asked rhetorically. “There was this one called Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. It was stopped by our military. You had a second one called Syria that tried to develop nuclear weapons. was stopped by the military action of

He added: The longer you wait, the harder it gets. We waited so long. ”

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twiter.com/jongambrellAP.