Iran Enriches Uranium, IAEA: Use New And Advanced Machines

Anti-air attack weaponry protects Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz. (WIkimedia Commons / Hamed Saber)

JAKARTA - Iran has started enriching uranium with a third set of state-of-the-art IR-2m centrifuges at its underground plant in Natanz, the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog told member states on Monday, February 8.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said this was a further violation of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.

This move is also a violation of Iran's agreement to limit its nuclear-related activities in exchange for relief from financial sanctions globally.

Also, Iran's move is aimed at increasing pressure on US President Joe Biden, who wants to revive the deal, but Washington and Tehran are stuck in a deadlock over which side should move first.

The deal allows Iran to enrich uranium only with first-generation IR-1 centrifuges at its underground commercial-scale Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) in Natanz. In November, Iran began enriching there with the first set of IR-2m engines, which were much more efficient.

"On March 7, 2021, the Agency verified at FEP that: Iran has started enriching natural UF6 into a third stream of 174 IR-2m centrifuges", the IAEA said in a report obtained by Reuters, referring to uranium hexafluoride, the form in which uranium put in a centrifuge to purify it.

“The fourth cascade of 174 IR-2m centrifuges was installed but not yet enriched with natural UF6s. Installation of the fifth cascade IR-2m centrifuge is underway, and installation of the sixth cascade IR-2m centrifuge has not yet begun”, the report added.

In addition to the IR-1 engines, Iran is now using 522 IR-2m centrifuges to enrich uranium to a fissile purity of up to 5 percent at FEP, the IAEA said.

That's more than the 3.67% purity the agreement allows but less than the 20% enriched at another facility, Fordow. Uranium enriched at 90 percent purity is used to make atomic weapons.