Reuters, citing a confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seen by the news agency, wrote that the Iran’s regime informed the IAEA on June 10 and 11 that it would install eight cascades, each consisting of 174 IR-6 centrifuges, within three to four weeks at the Fordow facility.
According to the report, the IAEA confirmed on June 11 that the Iranian regime had completed the installation of IR-6 centrifuges in two cascades at Fordow and that installation in four other cascades was ongoing.
The confidential report on the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been sent to the members of the organization.
The report also indicates that Iran, in a letter to the IAEA on June 11, announced its intention to install 18 cascades of IR-2m centrifuges at the underground Natanz enrichment facility.
According to Reuters, the Iranian regime has not specified the timing for this activity at Natanz.
Tehran’s new move comes a few days after the Board of Governors passed a resolution proposed by Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3, on the Iranian regime’s nuclear program with 20 votes in favor, 12 abstentions, and two votes against.
The resolution calls on the Iranian regime to improve its cooperation with the IAEA and lift the ban on the entry of “experienced inspectors” from the agency.
On September 17, 2023, the Iranian regime revoked the licenses of a group of IAEA inspectors to operate in Iran.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, defended Tehran’s decision in October 2023, stating that the reason for this action was the inspectors’ political maneuvering.
Earlier, on June 12, Reuters, citing five IAEA diplomats, reported that the Iranian regime had increased its uranium enrichment capacity at Fordow and Natanz in response to the Board of Governors’ resolution.
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, criticized the Board of Governors’ action on June 6, stating that Tehran has adhered to its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty of nuclear weapons (NPT).
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Iravani wrote: “The claim that Iran’s nuclear program has reached a critical and irreversible point, along with claims that Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities pose a threat to international peace and security, are completely false and baseless.”
Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, also called Britain, France, and Germany “misguided” on June 1 and threatened that Tehran would give a “serious and effective response” to their proposed resolution.
Some media outlets in Iran had previously reported that the responsibility for the regime’s nuclear negotiations had been assigned to Shamkhani.
