Iran to build new nuclear reactor in Isfahan - adds to concerns of Biden ad

Washington/Tehran: Alerted by the attack on the Natanz nuclear power plant, Iran is setting up an indigenous nuclear reactor in Isfahan. The head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization announced this. A few days ago, Iran removed the CCTV cameras installed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Isfahan nuclear power plant. After this, the head of the IAEA criticized the Iranian action and claimed that Iran’s nuclear program was progressing rapidly. Against this background, Iran’s announcement that it will build a new nuclear reactor in the said project has increased the concern of the Biden administration in the United States, which is firm on the nuclear deal.

A few days ago, the senior adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, warned that Iran could produce nuclear bombs. Khamenei’s adviser claimed that Iran had the technology and materials needed to make a nuclear bomb. Then IAEA expressed concerns over the pace of the Iranian nuclear program.

Over the past year, negotiations held in Vienna and Doha with Iran regarding the nuclear deal have failed. The Biden administration had announced that it was not possible to meet the demands made by Iran from the United States in exchange for the nuclear deal. But President Biden announced that the nuclear deal is still possible and that he would continue negotiating with Iran.

Israel expressed displeasure at this stance of the American President. Also, Israel had warned that no nuclear deal could stop Iran from making nuclear bombs. Under such circumstances, Iran announced the construction of a new reactor at the Isfahan nuclear power plant. Mohammad Islami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told local media that the nuclear reactor would be the largest in Iran. Islami claimed that this would satisfy Iranian nuclear energy needs. But Israeli and Western analysts and media are taking the Iranian announcement about the Isfahan nuclear reactor more seriously.

Just four days ago, the International Atomic Energy Commission disclosed the attention-grabbing information about Iran’s Isfahan nuclear power plant. According to the 2015 nuclear deal, IAEA would recommend that Iran install CCTV at the project. In January this year, Iran violated the nuclear deal by removing the CCTV in Isfahan. At the same time, Iran imposed restrictions on visits by IAEA inspectors to its nuclear reactors.

Meanwhile, activities at the Isfahan nuclear reactor are already being claimed to be suspicious. In such a situation, Iran’s announcement of setting up a new nuclear reactor at this location could increase regional tensions.