Iran is planning to significantly increase the production rate of highly enriched uranium. The information comes from a secret report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which the news agency AFP has gained access to.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi says that the information is worrying.
This is a clear message that they (Iran) are responding to what they perceive as pressure, said Grossi at a conference in Bahrain about the information.
The enrichment rate at the Iranian facility Fordo can increase significantly and reach an enrichment level of "up to 60 percent", according to the IAEA's secret report.
As a result, Iran would increase the production of enriched uranium from 4.7 kilograms per month to more than 34 kilograms per month. The IAEA has previously stated that Iran plans to install 6,000 new centrifuges for uranium enrichment at the Fordo and Natanz facilities.
When the IAEA chief visited Tehran in mid-November, Iran agreed to limit the enrichment to 60 percent. For nuclear weapons, the concentration of uranium-235 (a specific isotope) needs to be increased from the natural 0.7 percent to 90 percent. For nuclear power, an enrichment level of just under 5 percent is sufficient.
