Although still well short of weapons-grade uranium levels, the IAEA has confirmed Iran has enriched uranium to its highest level ever, hitting 63% purity in some recent efforts. This was above the 60% Iran was attempting to enrich to.
The IAEA chalked up the 60% to 63% difference to “fluctuations” in the process. Since Iran has no use for 60% enriched uranium in the first place, this largely doesn’t matter, though the technical new high made this a news story.
Iran’s civilian program only uses 20% and lower enriched uranium for fuel. The 60% came as an order from parliament as a protest against Israel’s sabotage of the enrichment site. Though it hasn’t been confirmed, Iran is expected to just re-dilute the uranium to some level they’d actually use.
Iranian officials say this is allowed under the terms of the JCPOA nuclear deal as part of its protest over other nations failing to come through with sanctions relief. The intention is for this to facilitate talks, though so far that’s been slow going, and Israel’s repeated sabotage efforts are constantly raising tensions.
Iran has installed more advanced centrifuges throughout the year, and the number of early centrifuges damaged in sabotage attacks has allowed them to install yet more. This has allowed Iran to step up enrichment, though until they get the sanctions relief and trade the JCPOA assured, the stockpile is growing to little effect.
They enriched to 63% because they can…!