Iran recently tried to acquire tens of thousands of highly specialized magnets used in centrifuge machines – a sign that the country may be planning a major expansion of its nuclear program that could shorten the path to an atomic weapons capability. The revelation of the new orders for nuclear-sensitive magnetic parts coincides with Iran’s announcement that it plans to add thousands of more-advanced, second-generation centrifuges that would allow it to ramp up its production of enriched uranium even further.

Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful and that its enrichment efforts are directed toward medical research and energy production. The attempt, nonetheless, has fueled Western concerns that Iran is planning a major expansion in its nuclear capacity that would allow it to make atomic weapons quickly if it chooses to do so.