E3: 60% Uranium Enrichment Noted With 'Grave Concern'

The E3 parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA, the Iran nuclear deal) - France, Germany, and the UK - have released a joint statement condemning the announcement yesterday by Iranian authorities that it would begin enriching uranium to 60% purity at its Natanz nuclear facility.

• The statement reads: "We, the governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the E3s), have taken note with grave concern of Iran's announcement to the IAEA on April 13 of the launch of enrichment [of]60% uranium using advanced centrifuges. This is a serious development because the production of highly enriched uranium is an important step in the production of a nuclear weapon."
• "Iran has no credible civilian need for such a rate of enrichment. We are also concerned to learn that Iran plans to install 1,000 new centrifuges at Natanz, which will significantly increase Iran's enrichment capacity. These Iranian announcements are particularly regrettable at a time when all the participants in the JCPoA and the United States have started substantial discussions with the objective of quickly finding a diplomatic solution to revitalize and restore the JCPoA."
• "Iran's recent dangerous communication runs counter to the constructive spirit and good faith of these discussions. In the light of recent developments, we reject any escalation by any actor, and we call on Iran not to further complicate the diplomatic process."
• Iran's actions come after a cyber attack on the Natanz facility that resulted in the destruction of several centrifuges. Tehran accuses Israel of carrying out the attack, but this has neither been confirmed nor denied by Israeli authorities.
• The move could end up pushing the US towards coming back to the JCPoA in an effort to stop Iran getting closer to weapons-grade purity uranium. Conversely, the actions could result in a major backlash from Washington, D.C. that sees increased sanctions and an unwillingness to be coerced into concessions by Iranian threats.