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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran expanding underground nuclear capacity, says IAEA |
| 2012-08-30 |
| Iran is preparing for a possible major expansion of uranium enrichment in a fortified underground facility, a UN nuclear watchdog report showed, underlining Tehran's defiance in the face of western pressure and the threat of an Israeli attack. The UN International Atomic Energy Agency report also said "extensive activities" – a reference to suspected sanitisation efforts – at Iran's Parchin military complex would hamper its investigation of possible past nuclear weapons development work there, if inspectors were granted access. The number of enrichment centrifuges at Fordow, buried deep inside a mountain to better protect it against any enemy strikes, had more than doubled to 2,140 from 1,064 in May, showed the quarterly report released on Thursday. But new machines were not yet operating, it said. The report showed that Iran had produced nearly 190kg (418 pounds) of higher-grade enriched uranium since 2010, up from 145kg in May. Iran, which denies developing nuclear weapons technology, says it needs this material to fuel a medical research reactor, but it also takes it significantly closer to making potential bomb material. The report is likely to add to western alarm about Iran's nuclear ambitions and may further fuel speculation that Israel might launch air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. |
| Posted by:tipper |