Anarak

There were reportedly rich occurrences of uranium ore near Anarak, not far from Yazd. The famous Talmessi Mine (also spelled Talmesi), near Anarak produced the first specimen of Seelite in 1955 (but were analysed and recognised as such only in the early 1990's). Seelite occurs there together with Uranospinite. Uranospinite is named for the uranium content and Greek spinos, a green finch, referring to the green color.

Iran had stated that small amounts of imported UO₂ were prepared for targets at Jabr Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratories (JHL), irradiated at the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), and sent to a laboratory belonging to the Molybdenum, Iodine and Xenon Radioisotope Production Facility (MIX) in Tehran for separation of I-131 in a lead-shielded cell. Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the remaining nuclear waste was solidified and eventually transferred to a waste disposal site at Anarak. The operators at the TRR and the MIX Facility provided supporting documentation in 2003, which was being examined. The IAEA was still awaiting relevant updated design information for the MIX Facility and the TRR. Plans were in place to visit the waste site at Anarak in June 2003.

In the IAEA report Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Report by the Director General, dated 6 Jun 2003, the Director General identified a number of corrective actions by Iran which were necessary to enable the Agency to verify the previously unreported nuclear material declared to have been imported by Iran in 1991. These actions included the provision of design information on the waste storage facility at Esfahan, and the granting of access to that facility as well as to Anarak and Qom, where waste resulting from the processing of the imported material was believed to be stored or had been disposed of.

In August 2003, IAEA inspectors visited the waste storage location at Anarak and requested that Iranian officials transfer it to the JHL. The solidified wastes from these activities were declared by Iran as having been mixed in concrete and sent to Anarak, and the liquid wastes to Qom, where they were disposed of. In February 2004 the IAEA reported that as requested by the Agency, Iran transferred the Anarak waste to JHL in January 2004 for inspection. As of that time, no more nuclear material was known to be at the Anarak facility.