IAEA: Iran Agrees to Increased Monitoring of Fordow Facilities

On Thursday, December 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent a confidential report to its members indicating that the Islamic Republic has agreed to increased monitoring by this international body over the Fordow nuclear facilities. Reuters reported on Thursday, December 13, that it had obtained a copy of this report, stating that the IAEA and Iranian officials discussed from Monday, December 10, to Wednesday, December 12, about increasing the frequency and intensity of safeguards measures at Fordow and a nuclear material storage facility in Isfahan for the long term. According to this confidential report, the Islamic Republic agreed to the IAEA's request for "increased frequency and intensity of safeguards measures at the Fordow fuel enrichment facility and is facilitating the implementation of this enhanced safeguards approach." The report confirmed that on Monday, December 10, the Iranian government began injecting natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas into six additional IR-2m centrifuge cascades installed at the Natanz facility for enrichment to 5% purity. Thus, the number of cascades fed with UF6 at the Natanz facility for enriching uranium to 5% purity has reached 72. The IAEA reported last week that the Iranian government has multiplied the speed of enriching uranium to 60% purity at the Fordow facility. Producing nuclear weapons requires enriching uranium to 90% purity, and the Islamic Republic's insistence on enriching at such a high level has heightened international concerns about its nuclear program. Following its report last week, the IAEA stated that it would discuss the necessity of stronger safeguards measures such as monitoring at Fordow with the Islamic Republic, and the negotiations of the past three days took place after that. The IAEA announced that the Iranian government is now capable of producing 34 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium monthly at the Fordow facility. This figure is six times the total of five to seven kilograms produced monthly at both Fordow and Natanz in recent months. According to IAEA standards, about 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, if further enriched, would be sufficient to produce a nuclear bomb. The Iranian government currently possesses more than four times this amount of 60% enriched uranium and significantly larger quantities of lower-enriched uranium. Western countries have repeatedly stated that there is no civilian justification for enrichment at such levels and that no country has conducted enrichment at such levels without producing nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, Iranian officials, despite abundant evidence and documentation, claim that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is "completely peaceful."