A year since Fakhrizadeh's assassination, Iran is enriching uranium at 60% purity, much beyond the 3.67% threshold stipulated under the 2015 nuclear deal. It has amassed 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% and over 210 kilograms (463 pounds) of 20% enriched uranium.
At the time of his killing last November, Iran was enriching uranium at 4.5%, slightly higher than the threshold. Three weeks after the murder, Iran informed the UN nuclear watchdog of its plan to scale up enrichment up to 20% purity.
In April, in response to sabotage at the Natanz nuclear facility, which Iran again blamed on Israel, the level of enrichment surged to 60% purity, which incidentally coincided with nuclear deal talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna.
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a leading nuclear policy expert, said Iran’s actions are a direct reaction to what Americans and Israelis are doing, adding that the “trend would continue.”
“More sanctions, pressures, sabotage and assignations by Americans and Israelis have been responded by Iran with more escalation, expansion and increase in the level and capacity of its nuclear program,” he told Anadolu Agency.