Iran to build yellowcake plant amid concerns over its atomic plans
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization announced plans to construct a yellowcake production facility capable of producing 20 tons annually.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization announced plans to construct a yellowcake production facility capable of producing 20 tons annually.
The announcement follows the commencement of radioactive materials extraction at a complex in Yazd province.
“Today, the extraction and operation of radioactive materials and accompanying elements in the Anomaly 10 area began,” said Javad Ahmadi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization.
“Last September, we carried out the exploration of this area, and now we have reached the stage of extracting radioactive materials and accompanying elements from this mine.”
Yellowcake, a processed uranium ore, is a key material for nuclear power plants, which Iran claims is its focus, though concerns remain over its potential use in atomic weapons. The West has expressed fears that Iran’s ultimate aim may involve weapons-grade enrichment.
Ahmadi also mentioned the project’s scope, saying that it involves approximately 40 million tons of radioactive materials, iron ore, and other elements.
“We have also planned to establish a yellowcake production plant with an annual capacity of 20 tons.”
Last year, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said that Iran is "weeks not months" away from a nuclear weapon.
In spite of a November resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors censuring Iran for its lack of cooperation, Iran has continued to forge ahead with its enrichment towards weapons level uranium.
The deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said at the time: "We will significantly increase enrichment capacity ... The Westerners are trying to push our nuclear industry backward through pressure tactics."
The latest developments come as President Donald Trump looks to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. During his first term, the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, a deal that restricted Iran’s uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent—well below the 90 percent required for weapons—while capping its stockpile at 300 kilograms.
Further expanding its nuclear initiatives, Iran on Saturday launched production of Iridium Hexafluoride (IR46) at the Shahid Raeisi Nuclear Site in Isfahan. State media claims the material has medical and industrial uses and opens new export opportunities for Iran.
While President Donald Trump’s new administration has indicated openness to renegotiations, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed the prospect, calling dialogue with the US dishonorable.
Trump has clearly announced that the Islamic Republic must not have nuclear weapons while countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France (the E3) continue to push for measures to prevent Iran's nuclear progress.
Iran insists its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes, though its growing capabilities are likely to draw increased international scrutiny.
