{"id":7151,"date":"2023-05-22T18:21:47","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T17:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=7151"},"modified":"2023-05-22T20:33:17","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T19:33:17","slug":"iran-developes-advance-level-deep-nuclear-facilities-which-could-not-be-targeted-by-us-airstrikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/iran-developes-advance-level-deep-nuclear-facilities-which-could-not-be-targeted-by-us-airstrikes\/2023\/05\/22\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran nuclear sites deep underground challenges West"},"content":{"rendered":"

DUBAI,<\/span> United<\/span> Arab<\/span> Emirates<\/span> (AP)<\/span> \u2014<\/span>\u00a0Iran<\/span> is now<\/span> producing<\/span> uranium<\/span> close<\/span> to<\/span> weapons-grade<\/span> levels<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> collapse<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> nuclear<\/span> deal<\/span> with<\/span> world<\/span> powers,<\/span> the<\/span> installation<\/span> complicates<\/span> the<\/span> West’s<\/span> efforts<\/span> to<\/span> halt<\/span> Tehran<\/span> from<\/span> potentially<\/span> developing<\/span> an<\/span> atomic<\/span> bomb<\/span> as<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> over<\/span> its<\/span> nuclear<\/span> program<\/span> remains<\/span> stalled.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Completion<\/span> of<\/span> such<\/span> a<\/span> facility<\/span> \u201cwould<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> nightmare<\/span> scenario<\/span> that<\/span> risks<\/span> igniting<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> escalatory<\/span> spiral,\u201d<\/span> warned<\/span> Kelsey<\/span> Davenport,<\/span> the<\/span> director<\/span> of<\/span> nonproliferation<\/span> policy<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Washington-based<\/span> Arms<\/span> Control<\/span> Association.<\/span> \u201cGiven<\/span> how<\/span> close<\/span> Iran<\/span> is<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> bomb,<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> very<\/span> little<\/span> room<\/span> to<\/span> ratchet<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> program<\/span> without<\/span> tripping<\/span> U.S.<\/span> and<\/span> Israeli<\/span> red<\/span> lines.<\/span> Further<\/span> escalation<\/span> at<\/span> this<\/span> point<\/span> increases<\/span> the<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> conflict.<\/span> “<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Construction<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> Natanz<\/span> site<\/span> came<\/span> five<\/span> years<\/span> after<\/span> then-President<\/span> Donald<\/span> Trump<\/span> unilaterally<\/span> withdrew<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> nuclear<\/span> deal.<\/span> Trump<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> deal<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> include<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> ballistic<\/span> missile<\/span> program<\/span> or<\/span> militias<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> Middle<\/span> East.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> what<\/span> they<\/span> have<\/span> done<\/span> is<\/span> to<\/span> severely<\/span> limit<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> uranium<\/span> enrichment<\/span> to<\/span> 3.67%<\/span> purity<\/span> (enough<\/span> to<\/span> operate<\/span> only<\/span> civilian<\/span> power<\/span> plants)<\/span> and<\/span> its<\/span> stockpile<\/span> to<\/span> just<\/span> about<\/span> 300<\/span> kilograms<\/span> (660<\/span> pounds).<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Iran<\/span> has<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> enriched<\/span> uranium<\/span> by<\/span> up<\/span> to<\/span> 60%<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> nuclear<\/span> deal,<\/span> but<\/span> inspectors<\/span> recently<\/span> found<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> was<\/span> producing<\/span> uranium<\/span> particles<\/span> that<\/span> were<\/span> 83.7%<\/span> pure.<\/span> This<\/span> is<\/span> just<\/span> a<\/span> short<\/span> distance<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> 90<\/span> percent<\/span> weapons-grade<\/span> uranium<\/span> content<\/span> threshold.<\/span> International<\/span> inspectors<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> February<\/span> that<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> stockpile<\/span> was<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 10<\/span> times<\/span> larger<\/span> than<\/span> the<\/span> stockpile<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> Obama-era<\/span> deal,<\/span> enough<\/span> to<\/span> allow<\/span> Iran<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> “several”<\/span> nuclear<\/span> bombs,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> director-general<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> International<\/span> Atomic<\/span> Energy<\/span> Agency.<\/span> It<\/span> was<\/span> estimated<\/span> that<\/span> there<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> large<\/span> amount<\/span> of<\/span> enriched<\/span> uranium.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>President<\/span> Joe<\/span> Biden<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> of<\/span> Israel<\/span> have<\/span> said<\/span> they<\/span> will<\/span> not<\/span> allow<\/span> Iran<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons.<\/span> “While<\/span> we<\/span> believe<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> best<\/span> way<\/span> to<\/span> achieve<\/span> this<\/span> goal,<\/span> the<\/span> President<\/span> has<\/span> also<\/span> made<\/span> it<\/span> clear<\/span> that<\/span> no<\/span> option<\/span> is<\/span> off<\/span> the<\/span> table,”<\/span> the<\/span> White<\/span> House<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Associated<\/span> Press.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Although<\/span> the<\/span> Islamic<\/span> Republic<\/span> denies<\/span> seeking<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons,<\/span> Tehran<\/span> officials<\/span> are<\/span> now<\/span> openly<\/span> debating<\/span> its<\/span> ability<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> so.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> question<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Associated<\/span> Press,<\/span> the<\/span> Permanent<\/span> Mission<\/span> of<\/span> Iran<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> said,<\/span> “Iran’s<\/span> peaceful<\/span> nuclear<\/span> activities<\/span> are<\/span> transparent<\/span> and<\/span> subject<\/span> to<\/span> safeguards<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> International<\/span> Atomic<\/span> Energy<\/span> Agency.”<\/span> have<\/span> restricted.<\/span> Iran<\/span> has<\/span> announced<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> construction<\/span> will<\/span> replace<\/span> an<\/span> above-ground<\/span> centrifuge<\/span> manufacturing<\/span> center<\/span> in<\/span> Natanz,<\/span> which<\/span> was<\/span> hit<\/span> by<\/span> an<\/span> explosion<\/span> and<\/span> fire<\/span> in<\/span> July<\/span> 2020.<\/span> The<\/span> Iranian<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> blamed<\/span> I<\/span>srael<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> incident.<\/span> Israel<\/span> has<\/span> long<\/span> been<\/span> suspected<\/span> of<\/span> campaigning<\/span> to<\/span> thwart<\/span> the<\/span> plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tehran<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> confirmed<\/span> further<\/span> plans<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> plant,<\/span> but<\/span> if<\/span> it<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> import<\/span> uranium<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> it<\/span> will<\/span> have<\/span> to<\/span> report<\/span> its<\/span> location<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> IAEA.<\/span> The<\/span> Vienna-based<\/span> IAEA<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> respond<\/span> to<\/span> questions<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> underground<\/span> facility.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> new<\/span> project<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> built<\/span> near<\/span> Natanz,<\/span> about<\/span> 225<\/span> kilometers<\/span> (140<\/span> miles)<\/span> south<\/span> of<\/span> Tehran.<\/span> Natanz<\/span> has<\/span> become<\/span> a<\/span> point<\/span> of<\/span> international<\/span> importance<\/span> since<\/span> its<\/span> existence<\/span> was<\/span> made<\/span> known<\/span> 20<\/span> years<\/span> ago.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> facility,<\/span> protected<\/span> by<\/span> anti-aircraft<\/span> batteries,<\/span> fences<\/span> and<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> militia<\/span> Revolutionary<\/span> Guard<\/span> Corps,<\/span> covers<\/span> an<\/span> area<\/span> of<\/span> \u200b\u200b2.7<\/span> square<\/span> kilometers<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> arid<\/span> central<\/span> plateau.<\/span> A<\/span> satellite<\/span> image<\/span> taken<\/span> in<\/span> April<\/span> by<\/span> Planet<\/span> Labs<\/span> PBC<\/span> and<\/span> analyzed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Associated<\/span> Press<\/span> shows<\/span> Iran<\/span> drilling<\/span> into<\/span> Kue<\/span> Kolan<\/span> Gaz<\/span> Lah<\/span> (“Pickaxe<\/span> Mountain”)<\/span> just<\/span> beyond<\/span> the<\/span> fence<\/span> south<\/span> of<\/span> Natanz.<\/span>Another<\/span> image,<\/span> analyzed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> James<\/span> Martin<\/span> Center<\/span> for<\/span> Non-Proliferation<\/span> Studies,<\/span> shows<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> hillside<\/span> has<\/span> four<\/span> entrances<\/span> to<\/span> him,<\/span> two<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> east<\/span> and<\/span> two<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> west.<\/span> Each<\/span> measures<\/span> 6<\/span> meters<\/span> (20<\/span> feet)<\/span> wide<\/span> and<\/span> 8<\/span> meters<\/span> (26<\/span> feet)<\/span> high.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> scale<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> work<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> measured<\/span> by<\/span> two<\/span> large<\/span> mounds<\/span> of<\/span> dirt<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> west<\/span> and<\/span> one<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> east.<\/span> Experts<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> center<\/span> said<\/span> Iran<\/span> could<\/span> build<\/span> facilities<\/span> between<\/span> 80<\/span> meters<\/span> (260<\/span> feet)<\/span> and<\/span> 100<\/span> meters<\/span> (328<\/span> feet)<\/span> deep,<\/span> based<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> size<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> tail<\/span> pile<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> satellite<\/span> data.<\/span> It’s<\/span> expensive,<\/span> he<\/span> told<\/span> the<\/span> Associated<\/span> Press.<\/span> The<\/span> Center’s<\/span> analysis<\/span> is<\/span> provided<\/span> exclusively<\/span> to<\/span> AP<\/span> and<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> first<\/span> time<\/span> the<\/span> depth<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> tunnel<\/span> system<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> estimated<\/span> based<\/span> on<\/span> satellite<\/span> imagery.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Institute<\/span> for<\/span> Science<\/span> and<\/span> International<\/span> Security,<\/span> a<\/span> Washington-based<\/span> nonprofit<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> long<\/span> worried<\/span> about<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> programme,<\/span> suggested<\/span> last<\/span> year<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> tunnel<\/span> could<\/span> go<\/span> deeper.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Experts<\/span> believe<\/span> the<\/span> scale<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> construction<\/span> project<\/span> indicates<\/span> that<\/span> Iran<\/span> could<\/span> potentially<\/span> use<\/span> the<\/span> underground<\/span> facility<\/span> for<\/span> uranium<\/span> enrichment<\/span> as<\/span> well<\/span> as<\/span> for<\/span> building<\/span> centrifuges.<\/span> These<\/span> tubular<\/span> centrifuges<\/span> use<\/span> dozens<\/span> of<\/span> machines<\/span> arranged<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> large<\/span> cascade<\/span> to<\/span> rotate<\/span> and<\/span> enrich<\/span> uranium<\/span> gas.<\/span> An<\/span> additional<\/span> cascade<\/span> would<\/span> allow<\/span> Iran<\/span> to<\/span> rapidly<\/span> enrich<\/span> uranium<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> protection<\/span> of<\/span> Mt.<\/span> “So<\/span> the<\/span> depth<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> facility<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> concern<\/span> because<\/span> it<\/span> makes<\/span> it<\/span> much<\/span> more<\/span> difficult<\/span> for<\/span> us<\/span> to<\/span> destroy.<\/span> It<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> much<\/span> more<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> destroy<\/span> with<\/span> conventional<\/span> weapons<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> typical<\/span> bunker<\/span> buster<\/span> bomb,”<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> analysis<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> tunnel<\/span> construction.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> new<\/span> Natanz<\/span> facility<\/span> is<\/span> likely<\/span> even<\/span> deeper<\/span> underground<\/span> than<\/span> Iran’s<\/span> Ford<\/span> facility,<\/span> another<\/span> enrichment<\/span> facility<\/span> discovered<\/span> by<\/span> US<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> world<\/span> leaders<\/span> in<\/span> 2009.<\/span> The<\/span> facility<\/span> has<\/span> raised<\/span> concerns<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> that<\/span> Iran<\/span> will<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> airstrike<\/span> program.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014\u00a0Iran is now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the West’s efforts to halt Tehran from potentially developing an atomic bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains stalled. Completion of such a facility \u201cwould be a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2400,2450],"tags":[5289,151,5290,1439,5291,1440,5292,1441,5293,1443,5294,1444,3316,4553,5282,5283,5284,5285,5286,5287,5288],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/download-4-1.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7151"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7151"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7170,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7151\/revisions\/7170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}