Iran Enriching Uranium with More IR-6 Centrifuges at Natanz, Says IAEA

This file handout satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on January 28, 2020, shows an overview of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, south of the capital Tehran. (AFP file photo)
This file handout satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on January 28, 2020, shows an overview of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, south of the capital Tehran. (AFP file photo)
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Iran Enriching Uranium with More IR-6 Centrifuges at Natanz, Says IAEA

This file handout satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on January 28, 2020, shows an overview of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, south of the capital Tehran. (AFP file photo)
This file handout satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on January 28, 2020, shows an overview of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, south of the capital Tehran. (AFP file photo)

Iran has begun enriching uranium with the second of three cascades, or clusters, of advanced IR-6 centrifuges recently installed at an underground plant at Natanz, a report by the UN nuclear watchdog seen by Reuters said on Wednesday.

Like the first of those three cascades of up to 174 machines each, the second is enriching uranium to up to 5% fissile purity and the third has not been fed with nuclear material, the confidential report to member states said.

A separate report on Monday said the first cascade had been brought onstream.



Kremlin Says Putin Open to Normalizing Ties with Finland if Helsinki Wants to Rebuild Ties

Finnish President Alexander Stubb meets with British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (not pictured) at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool
Finnish President Alexander Stubb meets with British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (not pictured) at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool
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Kremlin Says Putin Open to Normalizing Ties with Finland if Helsinki Wants to Rebuild Ties

Finnish President Alexander Stubb meets with British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (not pictured) at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool
Finnish President Alexander Stubb meets with British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (not pictured) at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin was open to normalizing relations with Finland, which his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said were in a "sad state," if Helsinki wanted to rebuild ties.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told his British counterpart Keir Starmer on Monday that Helsinki needs to "mentally prepare" for the restoration of ties with Russia, Reuters reported.

Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (800-mile) border with Russia, joined the NATO military alliance in 2023, which Moscow cast at the time as a dangerous historic mistake.