Iran Turns Off Uranium Enrichment Equipment At Natanz by Benson Agoha

* Aerial shot of Natanz Enrichment Facility.


After series of talks, Iran has reportedly stopped enriching uranium, according to "a confidential U.N. atomic agency report obtained by Reuters".

The shut-down of the enrichment plant is expected to pave the way for the easing of sanctions imposed on Iran by some Western Countries who fear that Iran was on course to produce weapons of mass destruction with its enrichment programme.

I ran denies its enrichment programme was designed to produce nuclear weapons and the it is entirely peaceful.

The latest feet followed several talks with 6 world powers that has eventually lead to a deal.

* IAEA Inspectors arrive at Natanz.

Ahram Newspapers, Egypts daily newspaper, reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency also confirmed that Iran had "begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to the fissile concentration of 20 percent - a level that took it closer to the capability of producing fuel for an atom bomb."

The report also confirm tha Iran was continuing to convert some of this reserve into oxide for producing reactor fuel, making the material less suitable for any attempt to produce bombs.

According to Ahram, the IAEA will play a pivotal role in checking Iran lives up to its part of the interim agreement by curbing uranium enrichment in exchange for some relaxation of international sanctions that are severely damaging its oil-dependent economy.

Media reports quotes some of the IAEA report to member states as containing the paragraph: "The Agency confirms that, as of 20 January 2014, Iran ... has ceased enriching uranium above 5 percent U-235 at the two cascades at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) and four cascades at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) previously used for this purpose."

* Plant worker working on the shut down.

The two cascades referred to in the report is believe to refer to Iran's two enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow - two interlinked networks of centrifuge machines that refine uranium.

The Guardian's Julian Borger posted several pictures of the shutdown at Natanz. He tweeted "More pics from Natanz with IAEA inspectors overseeing turning off of the 20% U tap."

The team are on their way to the second plant at Fordow.

The news must be received with cheers in Israel which maintain that a nuclear Iran is a threat to the existence of the State of Israel.

* Twitter: @bensonagoha.

* Twitter: @woolwichonline.

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* Photo Credit: The Iran Project/IRNA/Julian Borger.

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