Iran officially begins enriching uranium using advanced centrifuges in the Natanz reactor
Iran is pressing ahead with modernizing its advanced uranium enrichment program, even as the West awaits Tehran’s response to efforts to salvage its 2015 nuclear deal, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seen by Reuters showed on Monday.
The report said that Iran had begun enriching uranium using one of three sets of advanced centrifuges (IR-6) that Tehran had recently installed at its underground enrichment plant in Natanz.
Diplomats say the IR-6 is Iran’s most advanced and far more efficient model of centrifuge than the first-generation IR-1, and is the only model that the deal allows Iran to use for enrichment.
Iran has been using IR-6 centrifuges for more than a year to enrich uranium to 60%, close to the purity needed for weapons, at an above-ground plant in Natanz.
Iran has recently expanded its level of uranium enrichment using IR-6 machines at other sites.
Last month, a second series of IR-6, at the Fordow site inside Jebel, began enriching uranium to up to 20%.
Iran and the United States appear to be heading towards consensus on reviving the 2015 agreement that imposed restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions.
That agreement collapsed after the United States’ withdrawal in 2018 prompted Iran to breach those restrictions one by one.
After more than a year of indirect talks, Iran said it would soon respond to the latest US comments on a compromise text offered by the European Union, which is coordinating the talks.
The deal would include rolling back much of Iran’s enrichment work and capping enrichment at 3.67% purity.
But its installation of sophisticated devices in underground sites such as Natanz and Fordow could be a signal to any force that might wish to attack them in the event of a no-deal, because it is unclear whether air strikes on those sites would be effective.
Western countries are concerned about Iran’s tendency to acquire the ability to make nuclear bombs.
Iran denies any intention.
