Spinning up new centrifuges further advances Iran’s nuclear program, which already enriches uranium at near-weapons-grade levels and boasts a stockpile enough for several nuclear bombs if it chose to pursue them.
Iran has started activating new cascades of advanced centrifuges and plans to install more in the coming weeks, according to the United Nations’ atomic watchdog. This move escalates concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, which is already enriching uranium at near-weapons-grade levels and has a stockpile that could fuel several nuclear bombs if it chose to pursue them.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran has begun feeding uranium into three cascades of advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment facility. Iran’s enrichment has been up to 60%, a short step from the weapons-grade level of 90%. The IAEA inspectors noted that the uranium in these cascades was being enriched to 2% purity so far. In addition, Iran plans to install 18 cascades of IR-2m centrifuges at Natanz and eight cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at its Fordo site. These machines are much faster than Iran’s IR-1 centrifuges.
Although Iran has not officially acknowledged the decision, the move follows a harsh censure by the IAEA’s Board of Governors earlier this month for Iran’s lack of cooperation. The United States immediately criticized Iran’s actions, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calling the plans an expansion of Iran’s nuclear program with no credible peaceful purpose.
Since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, Iran has pursued nuclear enrichment just below weapons-grade levels. While U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran has not yet initiated a weapons program, the country continues to face severe economic sanctions from the U.S. and its allies.
In addition, the political tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been compounded by the shadow war between Iran and Israel, which escalated after an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of two Iranian generals in Syria in April 2024.