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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran has figuratively chopped off both hands of those who carried out the "crimes" in Natanz by activating the IR-6 centrifuges and increasing uranium enrichment to 60%. He made these remarks in two public addresses aired on IRINN TV (Iran) on April 14-15, 2021. President Rouhani said that Iran will return to its JCPOA commitments immediately once the U.S. returns to implementing the agreement, including reducing the uranium enrichment from 60% and 20% to no more than 3.67%. He added that Iran can produce 90% enriched uranium if it decides to do so, but it is committed to a peaceful nuclear program, unlike the U.S., which he said amasses nuclear bombs.
Hassan Rouhani: "We have said very clearly. Once the U.S. implements [the JCPOA] and we see that everything is done in a proper and practical way, we too will immediately act and return to all our commitments. We have no problem. The fact that, as you see, we declared today that we will activate the IR-6 [centrifuges] in Natanz, or that we will bring our uranium enrichment to 60% - this is done in response to your malice.
"You cannot conspire against the Iranian people and commit crimes in Natanz... We will chop off your hand when you commit a crime. We already cut off both of your hands: We cut off one hand by activating the IR-6 [centrifuges] and we cut off your other hand by [increasing uranium enrichment] to 60%. It is clear that we will not stop and we will not waste time. If you want to disrupt our legal and peaceful technology, which is supervised by the IAEA...
"If you want to harass us, we will still act in keeping with the law, of course. What you did constituted an act of nuclear terrorism. The fear the is being expressed today in Europe and America about Iran beginning 60% enrichment... Some people even said that 60% means we can go to 90% in one step. The idea in your head that we are paving the way to an atomic bomb is a complete mistake.
[...]
"Even today we can enrich [uranium] to 90%. Literally, today. If we decide, we will enrich [uranium] to 90% today. However, we are committed to what we declared right from the start. Our nuclear activity is entirely peaceful. We are not interested in a nuclear bomb. It is you who have been interested in nuclear bombs for years. You have been amassing and storing them, and every year, you produce new bombs.
"This accusation is tattooed to your foreheads. You don't need to talk about the Iranian people and government. Nevertheless, whenever you return to your JCPOA commitments, we will also do it without delay. You know that according to our JCPOA commitments, until the end of the JCPOA - the time that is left of it - our enrichment should not exceed 3.67%. We will bring our enrichment back to that level. Both the 60% and the 20% enrichment will stop. Just return to your commitments and don't worry about those things."
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