BICOM

The latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear programme was published yesterday, revealing that Tehran is continuing to grow its capability to enrich uranium.

The report found that Iran has installed a total of 1,008 advanced centrifuges at its central enrichment facility at Natanz, an increase from 698 since the last IAEA report in May. These centrifuges enable Iran to rapidly enrich uranium to weapons-grade material and were described in the report as being “under vacuum,” a key stage prior to operation. In addition, Iran has added another 1,861 regular centrifuges at Natanz, bringing the total to 15,416, a level at which it is thought inspectors would have difficulty detecting the breakout of weapons-grade uranium.

Yesterday’s report also reiterated concerns over developments at the Parchin site, to which international investigators have largely been denied access. The report says that the IAEA has yet to receive answers on outstanding issues, “including those related to possible military dimensions.”

The report also records Iran’s continued actual development of twenty per cent enriched uranium, considered just a small step from weapons-grade material. Iran’s stockpile has increased slightly since the last report to 185.8kg, but still well below the 240 kg mark specified last year by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his “red line” which may precipitate action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The IAEA also reports that Iran has delayed development at the Arak heavy water reactor beyond the first quarter of 2014, where it is feared plutonium could be produced, which can be utilised to make smaller, even more powerful nuclear warheads than weapons-grade uranium.

Meanwhile, the IAEA separately announced that it will meet with Iranian officials on 27 September, to discuss cooperation over “possible military dimensions” to its nuclear development. It will be the first such meeting since the election of Iran’s new President Hassan Rowhani. In June, IAEA head Yukiya Amano described previous talks as “going around in circles.”