IAEA inspectors are back in Iran. A lot has happened since my last update (Olli, Ali, Oxen-Free: IAEA-Iran Action Plan). Making sense of the press reports is tough, though, without some context. Here is what I can piece together on…
Persbo spots a very funny typo.
IAEA inspectors have confirmed that the NORKs have shut down 15-20 MWt reactor at Yongbyon. That’s a welcome bit of news, as they go about verifying the freeze that North Korea will place on five of its nuclear facilities (the…
The IAEA announces, and ISNA confirms, that IAEA inspectors will be able to visit the 40 MW Heavy Water Reactor near Arak. I am deeply suspicious of this reactor—which looks a lot like the reactors that were used in India,…
I’ve been waiting for press reports to see if the much awaited NIE on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs has been completed and, if so, whether the IC has moved up its estimates on when Iran could, or is…
IAEA DDG for Safegards Olli Heinonen is in Iran to draw up what the Iranian press is calling a “modality plan.” Just what our field needs, more f’ing jargon. The editors of the OED can barely contain their contempt in…
Good morning. This is a Calutron used to enrich uranium in the Iraqi nuclear weapons program. After the 1991 Gulf War, IAEA inspectors found that the Iraqi’s had set up Calutrons, using dual-use products like oil diffusion pumps (right). Many…
The Iranian Students News Agency (via AFP and Reuters) reported that Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said Iran “currently [has] 3,000 operational centrifuges and [has] delivered more than 100 kilogrammes of enriched uranium to warehouses.” Then the Interior Ministry denied…
The chart is by Andreas Persbo, who has another interesting blog post expressing skepticism about the IAEA’s assessment that Iran may install 3,000 centrifuges by August and 8,000 centrifuges by the end of the year. “Although ElBaradei is a very…
Wow. IAEA DG ElBaradei told reporters today that the IAEA assesses that “by end of July, [Iran] might have 18 cascades running.” [2:38, it’s an mp3 file.] That’s 2,952 centrifuges and it would surprise me. No one else seems to…
