New Iran site raises question about other secret locations: IAEA

VIENNA - Iran’s late declaration of a new nuclear site raises the question whether there are other still secret facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday in its latest report on the Islamic state.

Iran informed the Vienna-based IAEA in September that it has been constructing an additional uranium enrichment plant in Fordu, 20 km north of the city of Qom. The plant is set to become operational in 2011.

The restricted report said that “Iran’s delay in submitting such information to the Agency does not contribute to the building of confidence”.

The IAEA’s nuclear inspectors are seeking more information about the purpose of the Fordu site, which is too small to make fuel for Iran’s nuclear power plant in Busher, according to a senior official close to the agency.

The IAEA also reported that work at Iran’s operating enrichment plant in Natanz has been stagnating in the past months, with the number of centrifuges enriching uranium decreasing slightly.