Latest News

Iran plans uranium-enrichment growth at Natanz, Fordow, IAEA report says

Iran has notified the U.N. nuclear watchdog of plans to set up more uraniumenriching centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz plants in addition to bring devices recently installed there online, a private report by the guard dog said on Thursday.

The report to member states seen information what Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Company it plans to do, though it has actually done little to follow through up until now, having pledged to include thousands of centrifuges after a resolution versus Iran by the 35-nation IAEA board of governors.

Iran already has well over 10,000 centrifuges operating at its two underground websites at Natanz and Fordow and an above-ground plant at Natanz. The report outlined plans to set up 32 more cascades, or clusters, of about 174 devices each and a huge, extraordinary cascade of 1,152 advanced IR-6 devices.

The report did not, however, discuss Iran's enrichment of uranium to approximately 60% pureness, close to the approximately 90% of weapons grade, which could recommend a fairly cautious technique by Iran as it prepares for talks on Friday with Britain, France and Germany in Geneva targeted at bring back dialogue with the West.

Prior to last week's quarterly conference of the IAEA board, Iran

offered

to cap its stock of uranium enriched to as much as 60%, but diplomats said it was conditional on the board not passing a. resolution against Iran.

Although the IAEA validated Iran was slowing enrichment. at that greatest level and called it a concrete step in the. ideal instructions, its board passed a resolution proposed by. Britain, France, Germany and the United States repeating a call. on Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency.

The report made no mention of Iran reversing its downturn in. enrichment to that highest level but did state Iran had actually informed. the IAEA that 8 just recently added waterfalls of IR-6 makers. would be brought online to improve to as much as 5% pureness. An August. IAEA report stated the planned pureness was not defined.

(source: Reuters)