Iran Producing Enriched Uranium Metal Needed for Bomb

The International Atomic Energy Agency disclosed on Tuesday that Iran had begun to produce uranium metal enriched to 20% purity, a move that the United States and European powers immediately condemned. Uranium metal can be used to make the core of a nuclear bomb.

Britain, France and Germany in a joint statement said that Iran’s action threatens the nuclear talks in Vienna aimed at bringing Iran and the US back into compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. State Department spokesperson Ned Price called Iran’s new move “another unfortunate step backward for Iran.” Tehran told the IAEA that the enriched uranium metal was needed for a research reactor.