Iran Moves Centrifuge Manufacturing in Natanz Deep Underground

Recent sabotage convinces Iran they need a better site

Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has reported that work has begun on a new, more modern manufacturing hall for centrifuges in the city of Natanz. The new site will be in “the heart of the mountains” for the sake of security.

Earlier this summer, Iran’s Natanz site was targeted for sabotage by an Israeli cyberattack. Salehi said it was specifically the sabotage that led Iran to decide to build the new, harder to reach site in the mountains.

The use of Natanz as an important part of Iran’s civilian program is because of its location, in the country’s center and near the Karkas mountain chain. The site has been targeted by multiple cyber-attacks over the last decade.

The Natanz site is for the civilian enrichment of uranium. Iran enriches uranium to 3.5% for fuel at the Bushehr Power Plant. Though the US faults the enrichment program, this low-enriched uranium is far below levels needed for nuclear weapons.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.