Iran has halted Uranium Enrichment activities

Iran has started halting the Uranium enrichment and has begun down-blending Uranium enriched to higher level. The steps were taken on 20 January 2014 by Iran to limit its nuclear programme as per an interim deal with the world powers. This report was confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has halted enrichment work of the uranium and paved ways to suspend some sanctions imposed on it by the European Union and the United States.

The deal with the world powers has asked Tehran to power down the key nuclear equipment for six months, which will be followed by the easing of crippling sanctions imposed on it. The report of IAEA has also mentioned that Iran has started diluting its stockpile of uranium, which was enriched to the fissile concentration of 20 percent. This level took Iran closer to its capability of production of fuel for an atom bomb. It also confirmed that Iran has started converting some of its reserves into oxide for production of reactor fuel making it less suitable to manufacture bombs.

IAEA has confirmed that Iran has ceased enrichment of uranium above 5 percent U-235 at the two cascades at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) and four cascades at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), which were previously used for this purpose.

Background: Since 2010, Iran has been enriching uranium to 20 percent concentration of the fissile U-235 isotope. This process alarmed the western nations over the nature of its nuclear programme. Now Iran will enrich uranium to a lower-level following the nuclear agreement with six world powers namely United States, France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia. Uranium in its enriched form has can be used for both the purposes of villains and military. The interim deal between Iran and P5+1 – the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany reached in November 2013. The Geneva agreement has asked Iran to dilute its uranium stockpile that has been enriched to 20 percent and allowed that the country can enrich its uranium to maximum 5 percent, which can be used for civilian power requirements.