Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — The International Atomic Energy Agency has raised the
prospect that Iran transferred uranium to the military for weapons
development.

In a report, IAEA said uranium metal has gone missing from a research
facility in Teheran. The United Nations agency said Iran has not provided an
explanation.

“The discrepancy remains to be clarified,” the agency said. “Iran
indicated that it no longer possessed the relevant documentation and that the personnel involved were no longer available.”

In an 11-page report distributed to members on Feb. 24, IAEA said the missing uranium at the Jabr Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Research Laboratory amounts to 19.8 kilograms. The United States has expressed concern that the uranium was provided to the military for weapons research.

“It raises a lot of worrisome questions,” U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton said.

The quarterly report also cited Iranian efforts to install thousands of additional centrifuges for uranium enrichment. At the uranium enrichment center at Natanz, Iran has been operating 52 centrifuge cascades, up from 37 in November 2011.

Each cascade consists of between 164 and 174 centrifuges. So far, Iran
has reported 110 kilograms of uranium enriched to a level of 20 percent.
About 250 kilograms, enriched to 90 percent, were required for an atomic
bomb.

“All the centrifuges installed are IR-1 machines,” the report said.

Iran has also been developing its underground Fordow uranium enrichment
facility. IAEA said 700 centrifuges were installed at Fordow, with
preparations for additional machines.

IAEA also said Iran was blocking inspectors from visiting the Parchin
site. The agency has suspected Parchin of hosting nuclear warhead
development, including detonation tests.

“The agency continues to have serious concerns about possible military
dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program,” the report said.

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