Iran informs the IAEA of its intentions to deploy numerous centrifuges to enrich uranium – AFP – World

PARIS, November 29. /TASS/. Iran has notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intention to install approximately 6,000 new uranium enrichment centrifuges at the Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities, AFP The news agency reported, citing the IAEA.

According to the IAEA report, Tehran informed the organization that it plans to enrich uranium up to 5% using these centrifuges. Meanwhile, the highest level of uranium enrichment allowed under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed by Iran and a group of international mediators in 2015, is limited to 3.67%, the agency notes.

On November 21, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a Western-backed resolution criticizing Iran for allegedly insufficient cooperation. The document shows that the IAEA is to prepare a detailed report on Iran’s nuclear program by spring 2025.

In response, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Iran Atomic Energy Organization, stated that Iran had deployed several thousand advanced gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Nuclear agreement with Iran

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed by Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, Britain, China, the United States and France) and Germany in 2015 to resolve the crisis over the country’s nuclear program. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump and reimposed on Iran all sanctions lifted under the agreement. Russia, China, the US, the UK, Germany and France resumed talks with Iran in April 2021 aimed at restoring the JCPOA, but negotiations ended without reaching a resolution in 2022.

In response to Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Iranian parliament passed a law outlining a strategic plan to remove sanctions and protect the interests of the Iranian people. Under this plan, Iran reduced several of its obligations under the nuclear deal, most notably by suspending IAEA inspections beyond the nuclear non-proliferation treaty safeguards agreement and prohibiting stringent monitoring measures. According to Iranian officials, the West must return to full compliance with the JCPOA to restore mechanisms to monitor Iran’s nuclear program.