English: The logo of the Atomic Enery Organization of Iran. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Iran has revealed plans to upgrade its uranium enrichment centrifuges at a nuclear plant in Natanz.
According to Reuters the Iranian government revealed the plans in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEAE) dated January 23rd.
“The Secretariat of the Agency received a letter from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) dated 23 January 2013 informing the Agency that ‘centrifuge machines type IR2m will be used in Unit A-22′ at the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz,” said an IAEA communication shared with Reuters.
The Iranian letter claimed that the new centrifuges would be used to enrich Uranium up to 5% at the Natanz facility. Iran has always claimed that its nuclear enrichment program is for purely civilian purposes, however international observers fear that they could enrich uranium further, to reach the 90% level required for nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently refused to cooperate with IAEA inspectors, who have expressed suspicions that a plant at Fordow may be involved in weapons related activities.
The new centrifuges will allow Iran to refine Uranium at a faster rate, and will increase fears in Israel and the West about Iran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb.
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