Iran Says It Will Open Secret New Enrichment Site After U.N. Atomic Agency Censure

Iran said Thursday it would soon open a third uranium enrichment site, a major escalation after the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency decided for the first time in two decades that Tehran had failed to comply with its nonproliferation obligations.

Iran’s announcement comes ahead of a sixth round of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran expected on Sunday, in which President Trump is trying to persuade Tehran to stop producing fissile material as part of a new nuclear deal.

The head of Iran’s atomic agency, Mohammad Eslami, said Tehran would accelerate its production of near-weapons-grade uranium and open a previously unrevealed enrichment site in what he said is a secure location, according to Iranian state media.