Nuclear weapons experts David Albright and Sarah Burkhard of the Institute for Science and International Security provide a meticulously researched analysis of Iran鈥檚 nuclear development activities in their new book, Iran鈥檚 Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons. Based on their rare and extensive access to 300 tons of documents in Iran鈥檚 Atomic Archives, they reveal several previously unknown aspects of Iran鈥檚 nuclear weapons program, including a unique advanced indigenous design for a nuclear weapon just 55cm in diameter requiring less than 25kg of weapons grade uranium; a crash program designed to test and complete five ballistic capable nuclear weapons; as well a substantial site infrastructure for the enrichment, fabrication, manufacturing and testing of nuclear weapons cores and triggers.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chair Rafael Grossi, in a March 23 with Newsweek, said Iran must come clean about past undeclared nuclear activity, including recent findings of undeclared uranium, if there is any possibility to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, or JCPOA. Grossi added that "detailed and technical discussions" are needed to address the issue of Iran鈥檚 past undeclared work 鈥� including ascertaining the location of Iran鈥檚 undeclared stockpile of enriched uranium 鈥� which the world鈥檚 nuclear watchdog explained is "totally connected" to the future of the deal.
Underscoring the urgency of Grossi鈥檚 point, following the IAEA Board of Governors June 10 meeting and reports on Iran鈥檚 NPT & JCPOA non-compliance, the Group of Seven nations (G7) issued a communique reiterating a joint commitment to 鈥渆nsuring that Iran will never develop a nuclear weapon...ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme鈥nd to ensure full and timely cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.鈥� The statement was met with unusual outrage and defiance by Iran鈥檚 President Hassan Rouhani, who warned that Iran can expand its nuclear program 鈥渙n any day, at any hour鈥� to increase uranium enrichment beyond the current level of 63 percent, which is already sufficiently enriched to fuel a nuclear weapon.
Given the importance of Iran fully addressing its undeclared nuclear activity, this table identifies the locations of Amad and post-Amad facilities in various states, including razed, shut down, repurposed, or possibly still active, which is relevant to the IAEA鈥檚 efforts to determine the origin of undeclared nuclear materials, fate of undeclared facilities and activities, the completeness of Iran鈥檚 nuclear declaration, and whether nuclear weapons efforts have ended or in fact are ongoing. Such a determination requires IAEA visits to key sites in the Amad and post-Amad programs.