The Iranian Gas Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment Plant at Natanz: Satellite Images

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The Watcher

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The Iranian Gas Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment Plant at Natanz: Drawing from Commercial Satellite Images
By David Albright and Corey Hinderstein
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)









Iran is building a high security uranium enrichment facility using gas centrifuges near Natanz. This site is about 40 kilometers southeast of Kashan and about 150 kilometers north of Isfahan. The IAEA has characterized the centrifuges at this site as sophisticated and the culmination of a large, expensive effort.

Iran has demonstrated a capability possessed by only about ten countries. Because of the characteristics of gas centrifuges, the Iranian facility could be used for the production of low enriched uranium for civil purposes or highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, depending on the decision of the Iranian government.

An Iranian opposition group first revealed publicly the existence of this site in August 2002. Using the crude geographical information from this group and the archives of commercial imaging firm Digital Globe, ISIS found an image of the Natanz site taken on September 16, 2002. ISIS released the first public images of this site in December 2002. Subsequently, ISIS obtained a February 7, 2002 image of this site from Digital Globe. By assessing these images and using information from other sources, a more complete understanding can be gained of the Natanz site. This assessment remains preliminary and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The Natanz site is surrounded by a security fence and has many buildings, including underground facilities, representing a large uranium enrichment complex. Underground buildings currently under construction will be devoted to enriching uranium, and these well-protected buildings are sized to hold over 50,000 centrifuges.

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xtech

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The sooner Iran gets the bomb the better. Another counter to Israel in the region and a much diminished threat from the US.
 
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