Iran Says It Enriched 6.5 Kg of Uranium to 60% Purity

Iran has enriched 6.5 kilograms, or 14 pounds, of uranium to 60% purity, bringing it closer to the 90% purity required to create a nuclear weapon.

In addition, some 108 kilograms of uranium has been enriched to 20% purity, still more than double the purity allowed by the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers.

The announcement on Tuesday of the new enrichment levels comes as Iran and the United States are holding indirect talks mediated by the world powers in Vienna to return to the deal that the US left in 2018 and that Iran has been abrogating since. Iran said in April that it would begin enriching uranium to 60% purity. The decision came after a series of explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility that Iran blamed on Israel.