‘Iran not seeking 60 percent enriched uranium’

Iran does not need to produce 60 percent enriched uranium, the country’s nuclear chief Ali-Akbar Salehi said here Saturday.

The remarks of Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Ali-Akbar Salehi, came in response to the rapporteur of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, who said in December that his country needed 60 percent enriched uranium for the operation of its submarines, Xinhua reported.

“If the parliamentarians consider enriching uranium to the level of 60 percent helpful for the country and turn it into a law, we have to obey,” Salehi added.

Observers believe that occasional hawkish comments by the Iranian lawmakers is propagandistic measures to “withstand West’s demands and pressures” in regards to Iran’s nuclear programme.

In November, Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany) reached an interim agreement whereby Iran agreed to freeze part of its nuclear programme in exchange for limited ease of sanctions which had hurt its economy.

  60 percent enriched uranium, Iran