The big picture:
Following the adoption of an anti-Iran resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), said Iran will launch a third uranium enrichment facility in a secure location and replace first-generation centrifuges at the Fordow site with advanced sixth-generation machines.
What they're saying:
Speaking on Thursday, Eslami stressed that the new measures are part of Iran’s response to the political and psychological measures led by the US and three European states—Germany, the UK, and France—under the influence of Israeli pressure.
“The new site is fully constructed and located in a secure, invulnerable location. As soon as centrifuge installation and setup are complete, enrichment will begin.”
He further criticized the IAEA resolution, which he said falsely accused Iran of failing to meet its JCPOA commitments.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has also strongly criticized the resolution passed by the IAEA BoG, calling it a strategic miscalculation by the West.
“They wrongly believe political pressure can force Iran to retreat from its rightful positions,” Kamalvandi said on Thursday. “We had already warned that we would adjust our actions accordingly.”
“We will replace our first-generation centrifuges with sixth-generation machines,” he said, adding that uranium enrichment will rise significantly in both volume and efficiency.
Go deeper:
The U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday declaring Iran in alleged breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, diplomats at the closed-door meeting said.
The United States and the E3 proposed the political resolution.
Iran Blasts IAEA Resolution as Politically Motivated, Vows Proper Response
Hossein Amiri
