Iran has successfully produced 60% enriched uranium, officials say - its highest level ever

• Iranian officials say the country has successfully enriched uranium to 60%.
• That is the country's highest level of enrichment yet.
• Iran had not previously enriched uranium higher than 20%, and 90% would be weapons-grade level.

Iran has successfully produced 60% enriched uranium yet, its highest enrichment level yet, top officials say.

Mohammad Qalibaf, the country's parliament speaker, tweeted Friday morning: "I am proud to announce that at 00:40 [local time] … Iranian scientists were able to produce 60% enriched uranium," according to Reuters.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, also said the enrichment had started at the country's Natanz nuclear plant.

"We are producing about nine grams of 60% enriched uranium an hour," Salehi said, per Reuters. "But we have to work on arrangements to drop it to 5 grams per hour."

The announcement comes days after an attack on the Natanz plant, for which Iran has blamed Israel. Israel has not claimed responsibility. Iran had said on Thursday it would start enriching uranium up to 60% purity after that attack.

As Insider's John Haltiwanger previously reported, Iran had not previously enriched uranium higher than 20%.

Ninety percent-enriched uranium is weapons-grade level, and the 2015 nuclear deal sets the limit on uranium enrichment at 3.67%.

Iran's enrichment of uranium could complicate talks between Iran and the US on reviving the nuclear deal.

Experts say the attack on the nuclear facility was part of Israel effort to undermine the move to revive the deal.