Iran enriching uranium with second type of advanced centrifuge: IAEA

VIENNA • Iran has started enriching uranium at its underground Natanz plant with a second type of advanced centrifuge, the IR-4, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said in a new report, in a further breach of Teheran's deal with major powers.

Iran recently accelerated its breaches of the deal's restrictions on its nuclear activities in an apparent bid to pressure United States President Joe Biden as both sides are locked in a stand-off over who should move first to save the deal.

Teheran's breaches began in 2019 in response to the US' withdrawal from the deal and the reimposition of US economic sanctions against Iran under Mr Biden's predecessor Donald Trump.

Last year, Iran started moving three cascades - or clusters - of different advanced models of centrifuges from an above-ground plant at Natanz to its below-ground fuel enrichment plant (FEP). It is already enriching underground with IR-2m centrifuges.

The nuclear deal allows it to enrich there only with first-generation IR-1 machines.

"On March 15, 2021, the agency verified that Iran began feeding the cascade of 174 IR-4 centrifuges already installed at FEP with natural UF6," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in the report to member states dated Monday, referring to uranium hexafluoride, the form in which uranium is fed into centrifuges for enrichment.

Iran has indicated that it now plans to install a second cascade of IR-4 centrifuges at the FEP, but installation of that cascade has yet to begin, the report said.

Iran has already increased the number of IR-2m machines, which are far more efficient than the IR-1s at the underground plant.

"As of March 15, 2021, Iran was using 5,060 IR-1 centrifuges installed in 30 cascades, 522 IR-2m centrifuges installed in three cascades, and 174 IR-4 centrifuges installed in one cascade to enrich natural UF6 up to 5 per cent U-235 at FEP," the IAEA report said, referring to the fissile purity of uranium.

Iran is enriching up to 20 per cent purity at another plant, Fordow.

REUTERS