A newly-revealed internal memo circulated among members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that the Iranian government has accelerated its nuclear program, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal.
According to the memo, which was revealed in a report by Israel Hayom Wednesday morning, Iran is now operating advanced centrifuges, in violation of the 2015 deal, to increase its uranium enrichment capabilities.
The memo wrote that “in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2231, and as was previously reported on December 2nd 2020, Iran announced to the Agency that it has tried to install three second-generation centrifuge cascades at its enrichment facility in Natanz.”
“Iran has completed the installation of one of these three cascades, containing 174 IR2m centrifuges, and on Jan. 30 it began feeding the cascade with UF6.”
Since then, the Agency has confirmed the installation of a second centrifuge cascade, which has nearly been completed, while the installation of the third centrifuge cascade has just begun.
The Agency also said that Iran is working on additional centrifuges, including fourth-generation centrifuges, and that Iran is working on developing even more advanced centrifuges.
The report comes as the US is conferring with its allies to rejoin the nuclear deal, aimed at bringing Iran back into compliance with the agreement.
On Tuesday, the US said that it was too early to accept an Iranian proposal for the EU to help revive the 2015 nuclear deal, AFP reports.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell head a Joint Commission and choreograph the actions to be taken by the US and Iran to return to the deal.
"If Iran comes back into full compliance with its obligations under the JCPOA, the United States would do the same," the State Department's new spokesman, Ned Price, told reporters on Tuesday.
The administration will be "consulting with our allies, consulting with our partners, consulting with Congress before we're reaching the point where we're going to engage directly with the Iranians and (be) willing to entertain any sort of proposal," Price added.