Iran’s bid for the bomb

Iran has more than 14,600 gas centrifuges spinning uranium hexafluoride gas to separate and enrich the isotope uranium-235. Weapons-grade uranium contains 90% purity U-235

Caspian Sea
Ford enrichment plant
Tehran
Natanz enrichment plant
Arak
Anarak
Isfahan
Anarak
Saghand
IRAQ
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN
Bushehr
Gachin
The Gulf
200km 125 miles

Nuclear site
Reactor
Uranium mine

IR-1
IR-2M
IR-4
IR-5
IR-6


2006: Iran begins producing enriched uranium-235 at Natanz using single cascade of 164 IR-1 centrifuges

2010: Stuxnet computer worm attacks six cascades at Natanz, destroying almost 1,000 IR-1 centrifuges

2013: Iran installs IR-2m and IR-6 centrifuges at Natanz

2015: Iran, U.S. and five other world powers, plus EU agree Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran agrees not to enrich uranium above 3.67% for 15 years and not to stockpile more than 300kg of enriched uranium 

May 2018: U.S. President Donald Trump withdraws from JCPOA

2021: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports Iran has 5,408 centrifuges at Natanz

2022: Fordow enriches U-235 to 60%. 522 IR-6 centrifuges installed at Natanz. IR-6 output is double that of IR-2m and IR-4

Jan 2023: IAEA inspectors find two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Fordow can enrich U-235 particles
to 83.7% purity

Mar 2024: Production of 60% enriched U-235 at Fordow and Natanz estimated at 440kg/month

Centrifuges: IAEA reports Iran is now operating 7,266 older-model IR-1, 3,754 IR-2m, 2,466 IR-4, 27 IR-5 and 1,092 IR-6 centrifuges at Natanz  and Fordow

Sources: Nuclear Threat Initiative, IAEA, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control © GRAPHIC NEWS