[Published: Tuesday June 05 2018]
 Iran to boost uranium enrichment
TEHERAN 5 Jun (ANA) - Iran will inform the United Nations nuclear watchdog in Vienna on Tuesday of its plan to begin the process of increasing the country's uranium enrichment capacity within the limits of the nuclear agreement, the country's atomic energy agency spokesman has said.
"In a letter that will be handed over to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ... Iran will announce that the process of increasing the capacity to produce ... UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) ... will start on Tuesday," Behrouz Kamalvandi told ISNA news agency.
He said Iran had the capacity to accelerate production of centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium. The UF6 is raw material for centrifuges.
"The leader meant that we should accelerate some process...linked to our nuclear work capacity to move forward faster in case needed," Kamalvandi said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
On Monday, Khamenei had ordered Iran's nuclear agency to "make the necessary arrangements" on enrichment.
But he also emphasised that it will be within "the framework provided" by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the nuclear deal signed in 2015.
In his speech, Khamenei said Iran "will not tolerate being under sanctions, while limited in the nuclear field".
European signatories of the accord back the deal, but have concerns over Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its influence in the Middle East.(ANA)
FA/ANA/5 June 2018-------
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