Iran becomes self-sufficient in uranium concentrate production

TEHRAN - Iran claimed on Sunday to have become self-sufficient in uranium concentrate, or yellowcake, production when its first batch was produced in the Gachin uranium mine in southern Iran, the news network Khabar reported.

The yellowcake from the Gachin mine was delivered to the Isfahan uranium conversion plant in central Iran for further processing, Iran’s Atomic Chief Ali-Akbar Salehi said on the network.

Yellowcake is processed and converted into uranium hexafluoride and then enriched for eventually producing nuclear fuel.

The process was made under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Salehi added.

The Iranian announcement came just one day before the start of talks on its nuclear activities with the world powers in Geneva.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said the announcement “calls into further question Iran’s intentions and raises additional concerns at a time when Iran needs to address the concerns of the international community”.

He stressed the importance of the talks in Geneva. “We are looking to see if Iran will enter into these discussions with the seriousness of purpose required to begin to address international concerns with its nuclear programme,” he said.