WSJ: Iran slows installation of new centrifuges for uranium enrichment

Iran has recently halted the installation of new centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a shift that may be attributed to the recent election of a new president.

Sources indicate that Iran has decelerated the pace of centrifuge deployment after initially accelerating it in response to criticism from the IAEA Board of Governors in June, according to Lawrence Norman of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted by Caliber.Az.

The changes in strategy are thought to be linked to the appointment of Massoud Pezeshkian as the new president of the Islamic Republic.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, which had lifted most international sanctions in exchange for stringent but temporary limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, the country significantly ramped up its uranium enrichment program.

Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Iran might take "one or two weeks" to produce enough weapons-grade enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. Experts believe Iran already possesses sufficient enriched uranium of various grades to potentially fuel multiple nuclear weapons within six months. Additionally, Iran has an advanced missile program and has resumed work on critical components for building a nuclear warhead, including uranium metal production.