Reuters: Iran Preparing to Use Advanced Centrifuges at Fordow

Reuters has obtained a document from the International Atomic Energy Agency showing that Iran is preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow site. This step would give Iran the capability to enrich uranium at various levels.

The Reuters news agency has obtained a document from the International Atomic Energy Agency indicating that Iran is preparing itself to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the underground Fordow site. With these centrifuges, Iran can enrich uranium at different levels.

According to Reuters, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Saturday this week (June 18) confirmed in their report to member states that Iran is ready to feed uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) to the second cascade of IR-6 centrifuges installed at Fordow, a site carved into a mountain. This centrifuge cascade, which consists of 166 machines, is the second IR-6 centrifuge cascade installed at the Fordow site.

Reuters says that on Monday, June 30, Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it had begun the deactivation of this cascade, a process that precedes enrichment, from Sunday. The country had previously informed the Agency that the two IR-6 cascades could be used for enrichment up to 5 or 20 percent, but “the Agency has not yet received clarification from Iran about what level of enrichment this cascade will carry out.”

Reuters wrote that this step is the latest action that Iran had previously threatened to take, but halted its implementation until the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency decisively approved a resolution against the Islamic Republic in this month. The Board of Governors in this resolution called on Iran to cooperate without delay with the Atomic Energy Agency to clarify the origin of uranium particles found at three undisclosed locations.