Iran informs IAEA of its plan to install IR-6 centrifuges

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that Iran has declared its plan to install two new cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, in the central Iranian Province of Esfahan.

According to Reuters, Iran has begun installing advanced IR-6 centrifuges in one cluster at an underground enrichment plant at Natanz in line with a plan announced long ago but it now also intends to add two more such clusters, or cascades, the watchdog said on Wednesday.

"On 6 June 2022, the Agency verified ... that Iran had started to install IR-6 centrifuges in the aforementioned single cascade previously declared by Iran to the Agency," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states seen by Reuters and confirmed by the agency. It added that installation of the two extra had yet to begin.

The move comes hours after the IAEA Board of Governors held a session on Wednesday to discuss the Safeguards Agreement with Iran.

Tehran has warned that if an anti-Iran resolution is approved by the IAEA board, it will revise its cooperation with the agency.

Iran says that the Western powers have turned the IAEA into a political entity rather than a technical one.

Earlier today, Iran switched off two of the IAEA surveillance cameras to warn the agency not to pursue the agenda set by the Western powers.

Iran has also insisted that the IAEA chief Rafael Grossi should be held to account for consequences of the unprofessional approach the nuclear watchdog has adopted.

The spokesperson for Iran’s nuclear agency Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Wednesday afternoon that Iran is mulling over additional measures after turning off the IAEA surveillance cameras that functioned beyond the safeguards agreement.

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