Azerbaijan, Baku, July 31 / Trend S. Isayev
Iran is expected to achieve critical nuclear capability sometime in the middle of 2014, according to a report of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS).
Based on ISIS assessments, the "critical capability" is defined as the technical capability to produce sufficient weapon-grade uranium from its safeguarded stocks of low enriched uranium for a nuclear explosive, without being detected.
The report says that Iran would achieve this capability principally by implementing its existing, firm plans to install thousands more IR-1 centrifuges, "and perhaps a few thousand IR-2m centrifuges, at its declared Natanz and Fordow centrifuge sites".
Iran's criticality date could be achieved a few months earlier if Iran successfully deploys and operates several thousand IR-2m centrifuges and continues installing thousands of IR-1 centrifuges, the report said.
It is also noted in the report, that "a priority is preventing Iran from achieving a critical capability via non-military means".
ISIS says that "preventing Iran from reaching critical capability will require a broad set of responses", the most important of which is to limit the "number and type of centrifuges Iran builds".
The report also said that "although increasing the frequency and type of inspections at the enrichment plants is important, it is by no means sufficient to prevent Iran from achieving critical capability."
On July 30, Iranian incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran has about 12,000 active centrifuges, and there are 5,000 more ready to be inaugurated.
The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies.
The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical researches instead.