Iran plans uranium-enrichment expansion at Natanz, Fordow: IAEA report

VIENNA: Iran has informed the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog of plans to install more uranium-enrichment enrichment centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz plants as well as bring machines recently installed there online, a confidential report by the watchdog said on Thursday.

The report to member states seen by Reuters details what Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it plans to do, though it has done little to follow through so far, having pledged to add thousands of centrifuges after a resolution against Iran by the 35-nation IAEA board of governors.

Read more: Global nuclear agency passes resolution against Iran

Iran already has well over 10,000 uranium-enrichment centrifuges operating at its two underground sites at Natanz and Fordow and an above-ground plant at Natanz. The report outlined plans to install 32 more cascades, or clusters, of about 174 machines each and a massive, unprecedented cascade of 1,152 advanced IR-6 machines.

The report did not, however, mention Iran’s enrichment of uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, close to the roughly 90 per cent of weapons grade, which could suggest a relatively cautious approach by Iran as it prepares for talks on Friday with Britain, France and Germany in Geneva aimed at restoring dialogue with the West.

Just before last week’s quarterly meeting of the IAEA board, Iran offered to cap its stock of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent, but diplomats said it was conditional on the board not passing a resolution against Iran.

Although the IAEA verified Iran was slowing enrichment at that highest level and called it “a concrete step in the right direction”, 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.

Read more: Iran offers to cap sensitive uranium stock as IAEA resolution looms

The report made no mention of Iran reversing its slowdown in enrichment to that highest level but did say Iran had informed the IAEA that eight recently added cascades of IR-6 machines would be brought online to enrich to up to 5 per cent purity. An August IAEA report said the planned purity was not specified.