Iran Plans Expansion of Nuclear Program Ahead of Talks with Europe.
In a concerning development, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has revealed that Iran has informed the UN nuclear watchdog of its plans to install more than 6,000 new centrifuges to enrich uranium.
According to the confidential IAEA report, Iran not only intends to install these new centrifuges but also bring more of its existing ones online. This move follows a recent censure of Iran by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors, which was requested by Britain, France, Germany, and the United States.
Previously, Iran had agreed to cap its stock of high-enriched uranium at 60% purity, well below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon.
However, the new report suggests that Tehran plans to install 18 extra cascades of more advanced IR-4 centrifuges at the Natanz plant, each with 166 machines.
The talks in Geneva are scheduled to take place just two months before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, whose first term was marked by a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, leading to Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Representing Iran at the upcoming meeting will be Majid Takht-Ravanchi, a deputy to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Ahead of the talks, Ravanchi met with Enrique Mora, the deputy secretary-general of the European Union’s foreign affairs arm, in what was described as a “frank exchange” on a range of issues, including Iran’s military support for Russia, the nuclear issue, and human rights.
The announcement of Iran’s nuclear expansion plans has also prompted a response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated that his country would do “everything” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
