VIENNA : According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is expanding its nuclear program. The IAEA informed its members of Tehran’s announcement of the installation of additional cascades of uranium centrifuges at its Natanz and Fordow uranium enrichment plants.
Iran has always denied that it wants to build nuclear weapons. According to the IAEA, however, Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state that has enriched uranium to 60 percent and is building large uranium stockpiles. Thus, the country is on track to enrich uranium to 90% required for nuclear weapons. Nuclear power plants require only 3.67 percent enriched uranium.
Last week, the IAEA criticized Tehran’s lack of willingness to cooperate on a resolution for the first time since November 2022. The document, among other things, demanded a “technically credible explanation” from Tehran for the presence of uranium particles at two unintended sites.
The resolution, which was tabled by Germany, Britain and France against initial US resistance and criticized by Iran as “hasty and unreasonable”, is only symbolic but aims to increase diplomatic pressure on Tehran.