Iran claims right to enrich uranium to 90% level

Iran’s nuclear chief has unveiled the country believes to be entitled to enrich uranium to the weapons-grade level of 90%, adding the country plans to build four new nuclear plants with the help of Russia.

In a televised interview Sunday, Ali Akbar Salehi said under the terms of the recently agreed upon treaty with the West, Teheran accepted to limit its enrichment program to the level of 5%, but noted it was a “voluntary move,” Farsnews reports.

In a different interview with the government-run daily Iran Salehi raised concerns for the fate of the country’s only running atomic power plant amid talks with the West about a final deal to curb Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.

According to AP Salehi said the country needs 50,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium and produce enough nuclear fuel to run its Bushehr power plant for a year. It currently has about 20,000 centrifuges — but only around 9,000 of them are spinning and enriching uranium.