Iran rapidly is increasing the number of its centrifuges producing nuclear materials, and it is becoming more difficult to keep track of it all, according to a new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
With more than 5,000 centrifuges in place now, and about 2,000 more being brought on line, Iran is marching toward an eventual complement of 55,000 of the whirling devices.
They take uranium hexafluoride gas and process it into low enriched uranium. For bomb making, that fissile material would have to be processed further into highly enriched uranium.
Some newer-design, much faster centrifuges are among those recently added to Iranian production facilities, according to the report.
Iranian leaders have said they have a right to a nuclear program, adding that they are willing to engage in talks with Western leaders, but vowing even before talks begin that Tehran won’t give up its nuclear program. In other words, Iran will participate in negotiations, but those talks will fail to persuade Tehran to denuclearize. Critics say the only thing talks will accomplish is to give Iran more time to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
To counter any nuclear-tipped missiles that Iran might develop, the United States proposed building a European Missile Defense (EMD) system, which would take several years. However, Congress has banned use of funds to construct the system. And President Obama proposed providing only $51 million for EMD work in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010.
The unrelenting progress of the Iranian nuclear program, with a concomitant fear that Iran will build nuclear weapons, plus the proven Iranian mastery of missile technologies, has evoked great fear in Israel. (Please see related story in this issue.)
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei circulated his latest report on nuclear safeguards in Iran to the IAEA Board of Governors, the 35-member policymaking body, in advance of meetings this month.
That report outlines developments since his report Feb. 19.
The IAEA Board of Governors will discuss the report when it next convenes in Vienna June 15. His report is entitled Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008) and 1835 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Also circulated to the Board was his latest report entitled Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic, a topic also before the board this month.