Iran Completes Installation of Three IR-6 Cascades at Natanz: Verification and Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) (GOV/INF/2022/17)

August 3, 2022

Weapon Program: 

  • Nuclear

1. This report of the Director General to the Board of Governors and, in parallel, to the United Nations Security Council (Security Council), is on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s (Iran’s) implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in relation to its enrichment-related activities. It provides an update on developments since the Director General’s previous reports.

Activities Related to Enrichment

2. As previously reported, in addition to the 30 cascades of IR-1 centrifuges provided for under the JCPOA, Iran had informed the Agency that it intended to install another 21 cascades at the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz for the purpose of producing UF6 enriched up to 5% U–235 – six cascades of IR-1 centrifuges, six cascades of IR-2m centrifuges, six cascades of IR-4 centrifuges, and three cascades of IR-6 centrifuges.

3. As previously reported, at FEP:

  • Thirty-six IR-1 cascades were installed, 34 of which had been used to produce UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235; 
  • Six IR-2m cascades were installed, all of which had been used to produce UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235; 
  • Two of the six IR-4 cascades were installed, both of which had been used to produce UF6 enriched up to 5% U–235,5 and a third IR-4 cascade was being installed; and
  • One of the three IR-6 cascades was being installed.

4. During July 2022, the Agency observed at FEP that Iran had also begun to install the other two planned IR-6 cascades.

5. In a letter dated 2 August 2022, Iran informed the Agency that it had “started feeding” the two IR-1 cascades that had not been fed with nuclear material previously and that it had “started running” the centrifuges in the three IR-6 cascades.

6. On 2 August 2022, the Agency verified at FEP that Iran had begun feeding natural UF6 into the two IR-1 cascades that had not been fed previously to produce UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235. The Agency also verified that Iran had completed the installation of the three planned IR-6 cascades, each of which comprised up to 174 IR-6 centrifuges. The three cascades were under vacuum and none of them had yet been fed with nuclear material. The third IR-4 cascade was still being installed.

7. In another letter dated 2 August 2022, Iran informed the Agency of its intention to install an additional six IR-2m cascades at FEP in a new operating unit, and that it had updated the design information questionnaire (DIQ) for FEP accordingly. On the same date, the Agency verified that installation of these cascades had yet to begin. 

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