AP reporter George Jahn, who has been scaremongering about Iran’s civilian nuclear program for untold years, once again has an article breaking, claiming “Secret Document Lifts Iran Nuke Constraints“. Jahn writes similar stories every time he’s done wiping the egg off his face from the last nonsense article. So get the eggs ready.
In today’s “AP Exclusive,” Jahn claims to have obtained a “secret document” which reveals that Iran will be allowed to replace its current centrifuges in 11 to 13 years, phasing out its current 5,000 centrifuges with a smaller number of more advanced centrifuges, which are more efficient.
Jahn claims that because the new centrifuges are a lot better, they could “be used for nuclear warheads.” He’s wrong… of course, but he’s also wrong that this is an exclusive, or the result of a secret document, or even news.
The fact that Iran is allowed to replace centrifuges in 11 to 15 years is actually a well-documented aspect of the P5+1 nuclear deal. It’s not even that Iran is “allowed to” under the deal, but Russia is explicitly required under the terms of the deal to help Iran improve their centrifuge technology.
These centrifuges would also be installed at Natanz, where 24-7 IAEA surveillance is ongoing of their operation, and Iran’s requirement to limit their enrichment to the low levels required for power generation will remain in place. That Iran can produce more 2.5% enriched uranium in 2027 or so is not in dispute. That this would be totally useless for a weapon is also well understood by everyone but Jahn, as nuclear weapons would require enrichment above 90%, something Iran has never even attempted.
Less than a half hour after Jahn and the AP “broke” this story, it’s already well and truly broken. I’d say it’s a “nice try,” but Jahn’s made it harder to refute his more convoluted and outrageous claims in the past.