VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog plans to increase the frequency of its inspections at Iran’s Fordo plant after Iran begins producing enriched uranium with more advanced machines there, the watchdog said on Wednesday from member states seen by Reuters. said in a report.
“The Agency has decided and Iran has agreed to increase the frequency of verification activities in the FFEP and will continue to consult with Iran on practical arrangements to facilitate the implementation of these activities,” the International Atomic Energy Agency report said. , referring to the Fordow fuel enrichment plant .
The IAEA said Iran has begun the process of enriching uranium to 20 percent purity with a cascade, or cluster, of 166 advanced IR-6 machines at Fordow. Those machines are far more efficient than the first generation IR-1.
Indirect talks between Iran and the United States resumed this week after a five-month break prompted by the election of hardline President Ibrahim Raisi to fully back the two in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Western negotiators fear that Iran is creating facts on the ground to gain leverage in the talks.
Underscoring how badly the deal has been eroded, the deal does not allow Iran to enrich uranium in Fordo at all. Until now it had been producing enriched uranium with IR-1 machines and had enriched some IR-6s without keeping the product.
The IAEA said in a statement that 94 IR-6 machines installed in a cascade at Fordow are not yet functional.
If Iran is not serious in nuclear talks this week, Europeans see ‘problem’ in Vienna nuclear talks as Iran demands maximum.