Iran has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, UN says
VIENNA — Iran has continued to increase its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons levels in defiance of international demands, according to a confidential report from the United Nations nuclear watchdog seen Tuesday by The Associated Press.
The International Atomic Energy Agency report said Iran had 182.3 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of October 26, an increase of 17.6 kilograms since the last report in August.
Uranium enriched to a purity of 60% is just a short, technical step away from a weapons-grade level of 90%.
The IAEA also estimated in its quarterly report that Iran’s total stockpile of enriched uranium as of October 26 is 6,604.4 kilograms (14,560 pounds), an increase of 852.6 kilograms (1,879.6 pounds). since the last report in August. According to the IAEA definition, approximately 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to a purity of 60% is the amount at which the creation of one nuclear weapon is theoretically possible – if the material is further enriched, up to 90%.
Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi has warned before that Tehran has sufficient uranium, enriched to near weapons levels to make “different” nuclear bombs if she chooses. He has acknowledged that the UN agency cannot guarantee this The Iranian centrifuges may have been removed for clandestine enrichment.
The IAEA also reported that Iran has so far failed to take concrete steps to improve cooperation, despite pleas from Grossi, who visited Iran last week for talks with Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the Iranian minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi and the Iranian reformist Iranian Foreign Minister. President Masoud Pezeshkian.
However, the IAEA said in its report that the meetings “discussed the possibility that Iran would not further expand its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% U-235, including technical verification measures necessary for the Agency to confirm this, if implemented. .”
The report states that a day after International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi left Iran on November 16, IAEA inspectors verified that “Iran had begun implementing preparatory measures aimed at halting the increase in its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% U-235” at its underground nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz.
Tuesday’s confidential report also said that during Grossi’s visit to Iran on November 14, “Iran agreed to respond to the Agency’s concerns regarding Iran’s withdrawal of the designation of several experienced Agency inspectors by accepting to consider appointing four additional experienced inspectors. ”
In September 2023, Iran banned some of the The most experienced inspectors of the Vienna-based agency.
The report also states that no progress has been made to date in reinstalling more monitoring equipment, including cameras, which were removed in June 2022, which also “adversely impacts the Agency’s ability to provide assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”
Since then, the only data recorded has been from IAEA cameras installed in a centrifuge workshop in Isfahan in May 2023 – although Iran has not given the IAEA access to this data and inspectors have not been able to maintain the cameras.
The reports come ahead of the regular meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors this week in Vienna. Western countries have considered a resolution condemning Iran for its failure to improve cooperation with the agency.
Last week, Eslami warned that Iran could retaliate if challenged at the upcoming IAEA board meeting. Grossi acknowledged that some countries are considering taking action against Iran.
A senior diplomat said it is possible that the commitments made by Iran during the IAEA main visit may not hold if a resolution is adopted.