Reuters, Washington, 25 September 2009 – The United States has been monitoring for several years Iran’s construction of a newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant and believes it is too small to produce fuel for a civilian nuclear power reactor, a U.S. official said on Friday.

“The U.S. has been observing and analyzing this facility for several years. Gradually a picture emerged of Iran’s activities at and plans for the site,” a counter-proliferation official said on condition of anonymity.

“This facility appears too small to produce fuel for a nuclear power reactor. The site is intended to hold approximately 3,000 centrifuges. Civilian plants typically require a far larger number,” the official added.

Civilian enrichment facilities typically need tens of thousands of centrifuges to produce viable amounts of fuel for the regular operation of nuclear power plants.