Iran’s decision to increase its uranium enrichment to 60% purity is in response to what it called Israel’s “terrorism” against its Natanz nuclear facility.
“What you did was nuclear terrorism. What we do is legal,” Iranian President Hasan Rouhani said on Wednesday addressing his remarks to Israel in a televised Cabinet meeting.
“The launch of IR-6 (centrifuges) and 60% enrichment was a response to their evils. If the Zionists conspire against our nation, we will respond; That was the first step,” he also said, the official FARS news agency reported.
He also referenced the negotiations to bring the US back into the Iran nuclear deal. “You want our hands to be empty in the negotiations, but our hands are full. We cut off two of your hands; We hit one hand with IR-6 and one hand with 60% enrichment,” he said.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the incident at Natanz on Sunday which damaged the nuclear facilities electric distribution center and reportedly damaged advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium that had gone online the previous day.
Iran on Tuesday informed the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that it would increase its enrichment from its current rate of 20% to 60%. Ninety percent purity is required for military use.