IAEA: Only a Portion of Monitoring Equipment Installed at Iran's Nuclear Facilities

On Wednesday, June 10, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced in two reports that only a portion of the monitoring equipment has been reinstalled at Iran's nuclear facilities. The Islamic Republic of Iran ordered the removal of equipment installed under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) last year. The equipment that has been reinstalled is only a small part of what the IAEA intended to install according to an agreement made last March with the Islamic Republic to enhance its monitoring capabilities over Iran's nuclear activities. According to Reuters, a senior diplomat stated that Wednesday's reports from the agency indicate that monitoring equipment for uranium enrichment has been installed in the centrifuge lines at the Natanz and Fordow facilities. Meanwhile, the amount of enriched uranium up to 60%, suitable for nuclear weapon production, continues to increase and is currently sufficient for the production of two nuclear bombs. Robert Malley, the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, reiterated on Wednesday, June 10, in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR) that if the Islamic Republic decides to enrich uranium to military-grade levels, it is only 'a few weeks' away from having enough material to build a nuclear bomb. Malley also referenced Biden's past statements that if Iran continues its efforts to build a nuclear bomb, military options 'will be on the table,' something U.S. intelligence indicates Tehran has not yet decided to pursue. Malley stated, 'The military option is far from the preferred option, but he [Biden] will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Iran does not acquire a bomb.' Additionally, see: U.S. Special Envoy for Iran: Military option is on the table but diplomacy is preferred. Despite the Biden administration's efforts to revive the JCPOA from 2020 to 2022, negotiations to restore the JCPOA were suspended last summer due to what was termed the Islamic Republic's 'extravagant demands,' and following the protests in the second half of the year 1401, these negotiations fell off the priority list of the U.S. government. This report utilized information from Reuters.