LONDON: Iran’s foreign ministry on Friday rejected criticism by France, Germany, Britain and the US of its increase in uranium enrichment, saying this was part of its peaceful nuclear program.
“Enrichment at 60 percent level in Iran’s enrichment centers has always been and will continue to be in accordance with the peaceful needs of the country and fully under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told state media.
Western powers on Thursday condemned Iran for accelerating its production of highly enriched uranium, after a watchdog said it had upped manufacture following months of slowdown.
In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany and the US said they “condemn this measure that further aggravates the continued escalation of the Iranian nuclear program,” adding that “Iran’s production of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification.”
The statement came two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report saying Iran “increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023.”
Iran had increased its output of 60 percent enriched uranium to a rate of about nine kilograms (20 pounds) a month since the end of November, the UN watchdog said.
That is up from about three kilograms a month since June, and a return to the nine kilograms a month it was producing during the first half of 2023.
In their statement on Thursday, the Western powers said that “these developments constitute a step in a bad direction on the part of Iran,” warning of “significant proliferation risks.”
However, the allies made no mention of any consequences Iran could face for the production hike but called for its reversal and said they remained “committed to a diplomatic solution” of the feud over Tehran’s nuclear program.
“The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification,” the statement said. “These decisions ... represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.”
Tehran already has enough uranium of 60 percent purity, if enriched to 90 percent, to make three nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA’s theoretical definition.
Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Britain, France and Germany remain parties to the 2015 deal designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Former US President Donald Trump reneged on the accord in 2018, prompting Iran to gradually violate its strictures. 
(With Reuters and AFP)