Iran's Atomic Official: Resuming Enrichment at Fordow and Developing Natanz if U.S. Exits JCPOA

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, announced in an interview on Wednesday that if Iran exits the JCPOA, enrichment will resume "at the Fordow site" and the Natanz facility will be "developed." According to reports from Young Journalists Club of Iran on Wednesday, June 13, Kamalvandi also mentioned the "installation of new machines at Natanz... and nearing the construction phase of the Arak reactor" if Iran exits the nuclear agreement. Shortly after the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, Hassan Rouhani declared that he had instructed the Atomic Energy Organization to prepare for "unlimited industrial enrichment." He also stated that Iran would wait a few weeks to negotiate with the countries that signed the JCPOA and remained committed to it before implementing this decision. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, also said on May 25 that if Europe exits the JCPOA, Iran would increase its enrichment from four percent to 20 percent and higher. Before the JCPOA, Iran enriched uranium up to 3.5 percent and at times above 20 percent. The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran also stated on Wednesday regarding the Natanz facility: "If we are to exit the JCPOA, we will install new machines and develop the site." Behrouz Kamalvandi explained that "currently, the Supreme Leader has instructed that plans be carried out within the framework of the JCPOA." He continued, "... currently, no enrichment is taking place there, and after exiting the JCPOA, enrichment will resume at Fordow with the decision of senior officials of the system." Iran acknowledged the existence of the Fordow site, located 25 kilometers from the Qom-Tehran road, in 2009. Shortly thereafter, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran initially enriched uranium at Fordow to 20 percent and at one point raised the concentration to 27 percent. According to the Lausanne Agreement, which preceded the JCPOA, the Fordow facility was to be limited to scientific and research activities, with no uranium enrichment taking place there. However, less than two months ago, Israeli media published "new satellite images of Fordow" to show that this nuclear site had witnessed new activities in the weeks prior, including changes to its structure. Behrouz Kamalvandi also stated that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is "prepared for any situation and is just waiting for orders to act accordingly." This echoes the statement of Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, that in the event of the nuclear agreement breaking down, the Islamic Republic could resume 20 percent enrichment at the Fordow site within four days, a claim that at least one expert has called "exaggeration."