adminIran has begun curbing uranium enrichment under a deal which will also see international sanctions eased, the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) says.
Earlier, centrifuges used for enrichment were disconnected at the Natanz plant, Iranian TV reported.
The move is part of a nuclear deal reached with the US, Russia, China and European powers last November.
By the end of the day, Iran should be able to resume petrochemical and other exports, worth billions to its economy.
“The IAEA inspectors in the Natanz plant are disconnecting cascades,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said. “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”
The IAEA confirmed that, as yesterday, Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5 percent purity at the Nantaz and Fordo facilities, according to a confidential report by its inspectors obtained by the BBC.
Iran has also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent, and agreed the details of how UN inspectors will have increased access to Natanz and Fordo, the report adds.
The nuclear deal is designed to prevent Iran developing atomic weapons. Tehran denies trying to do so, saying its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Once happy that Iran is halting uranium enrichment, European Union foreign ministers in Brussels were likely to vote in favour of the partial lifting of the sanctions by the end yesterday. The sanctions have been in place against Iran since 2006. – BBC News.
Online Reporter