Iran has started enriching uranium to a purity level of 60 per cent in response to what it says was an Israeli attack on a key nuclear facility, the country's chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday.
He was speaking before talks in Vienna on the 2015 nuclear deal.
Tehran blamed Israel for a power outage at the Natanz underground nuclear enrichment site on Sunday, that damaged centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Israel has not officially commented on the accusation.
Mr Araghchi said Iran announced its plans in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In addition to replacing the centrifuges damaged in Sunday's attack, it will add 1,000 new advanced centrifuges, he said.
According to Mr Araghchi, these new centrifuges will have 50 per cent more capacity than the damaged ones.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, deputy chairman and spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, said on Tuesday that "the preparation for execution of the 60 per cent uranium enrichment will begin as of tonight in Natanz nuclear facility".
Under the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran agreed to limit enrichment to 3.67 per cent for 15 years and drastically cut the country's stockpiles.
According to experts, the drastic increase in uranium enrichment is a serious escalation by Iran. In the past, Iran has never exceeded 20 per cent enrichment.
Hardliners in Tehran called for an end to the Vienna negotiations after the Natanz attack and vowed to respond with security forces.
In 2018, then US president Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on the country.
In response, Tehran began to breach the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and tried to pressure Europe, Russia and China to maintain the agreement.
While US President Joe Biden has said he is keen to see a return of the agreement and of diplomacy, US officials demand Iran return to compliance before they will remove sanctions.
Iran, however, insists sanctions must be lifted before returning to compliance.
" I hope that I can go back to Tehran with the list of sanctions that will be lifted," Mr Araghchi said in Vienna.
"Otherwise, I don’t believe we can continue like this."
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Teaching in coronavirus times
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Rating: 3.5/5
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
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The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
The%20specs
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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