New centrifuges and machinery could potentially triple Fordow’s capacity to produce enriched uranium.
By Adi Nirman – IsraelHayom.com
According to confidential reports and analysis from nuclear experts cited by The Washington Post, Iran is undertaking a substantial expansion at its heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility. This development could potentially triple Fordow’s capacity to produce enriched uranium, providing Tehran with the means to rapidly assemble nuclear weapons if its leadership decides to pursue that path.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors have verified new construction activities at the Fordow enrichment plant, just days after Iran formally notified the nuclear watchdog about plans to significantly upgrade the underground site located in a mountainous region of north-central Iran.
The Post’s reporting, based on a technical evaluation, indicates that the expansion at Fordow alone could enable Iran to stockpile enough nuclear fuel for several bombs every month. While smaller than Iran’s main enrichment facility near Natanz, Fordow’s underground location makes it virtually impervious to airstrikes, heightening its strategic significance.
“Iran would gain the capability for a rapid breakout at this deeply buried site, an ability it has not possessed before,” David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based non-profit, told The Post.
cont’d…