The Arak IR-40 heavy water reactor in Iran. Photo: Nanking2012/Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Iran has “taken many actions that have compounded suspicions that it has not stopped its uranium laser enrichment activities,” despite claiming in 2003 that it had abandoned this process, said a new Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) report which recommended additional Iran sanctions.

The ISIS report, released Monday, was based on the analysis of satellite imagery. The laser-based enrichment process can generate civilian nuclear fuel as well as bomb material. The actions referred to in the ISIS report include Iran’s “development of advanced lasers suitable for uranium enrichment, its past secret laser enrichment program, the extensive construction at the site of its original undeclared uranium laser enrichment program (Lashkar Ab’ad), and a 2010 high-profile Iranian announcement about having a uranium laser enrichment capability.”

As long as Iran fails to satisfy the concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (the United Nations nuclear watchdog), the ISIS report recommended additional measures that “increase Iran’s difficulty to pursue laser uranium enrichment programs,” such as additional Iran sanctions.

Countries should detect and thwart “any Iranian procurements of laser enrichment related technology, equipment, and materials, including subcomponents of advanced lasers,” the report said.