The United States have sent a clear message to theIranaccused by many of having intensified his nuclear program and to have sufficient material to build several atomic bombs. Specifically, the US has made it clear that it is ready to “respond accordingly” in the face of any risky move by Tehran. Washington has also asked the Iranian government to cooperate with the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and implement all legally binding obligations. For the Atomic Observatory of United Nations, meanwhile, Iran has reportedly launched a new series of advanced centrifuges for uranium enrichment and intends to install others in the coming weeks.
The US warning to Iran
“Iran continues to take steps in the wrong direction regarding its nuclear program“, the US State Department spokesperson wrote on Matthew Milleraccording to which Tehran “must cooperate with the IAEA without further delay to fully implement its legally binding safeguards obligations“. The United States, Miller concluded, remains “in close coordination with partners and allies“.
Miller himself then underlined how the Iranian government wants to continue expanding its program “in ways that serve no credible peaceful purpose“. “These planned actions further undermine Iran’s claims to the contrary“, added the senior American official. “If Iran implements these plans, we will respond accordingly“, he concluded.
Tehran’s moves
The American warning is a direct consequence of the latest steps taken by Iran. The United Nations atomic watchdog confirmed that Tehran has rolled out new series of advanced centrifuges and plans to install more in the coming weeks. For the United States these are moves that fuel a dangerous nuclear escalation.
The installation of new centrifuges further advances Iran’s nuclear program, which already enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels and boasts a supply sufficient for several nuclear bombs, should it decide to create them.
Iran also plans to install 18 cascades of centrifuges IR-2m in Natanz and eight cascades of centrifuges IR-6 at the Fordo nuclear site. Each of these classes of centrifuges enriches uranium faster than centrifuges IR-1 base of Iran, which remain the workhorse of the country’s atomic program.
The IAEA alarm
So far Iran has enriched uranium in these cascades up to 2% of purity. The IAEA meanwhile said that its inspectors have verified that Iran has begun feeding uranium into three cascades of advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges at the aforementioned Natanz enrichment facility.
Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to enrich it more
quickly. Tehran did not provide any confirmation. Iran, going into detail, already enriches uranium up to 60%not far from the quality levels for weapons that must be of 90%.
