Iran has increased uranium stockpile enriched to near-weapons grade level: UN report

Iran has defied planetary demands to rein successful its atomic programme and has accrued its stockpile of uranium enriched to adjacent weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential study by the United Nations’ atomic watchdog seen Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The study by the International Atomic Energy Agency said that arsenic of Oct. 26, Iran has 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, an summation of 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) since the past study successful August.

Uranium enriched astatine 60% purity is conscionable a short, method measurement distant from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

The IAEA besides estimated successful its quarterly study that arsenic of Oct. 26, Iran’s wide stockpile of enriched uranium stands astatine 6,604.4 kilograms (14,560 pounds), an summation of 852.6 kilograms (1,879.6 pounds) since August. Under the IAEA’s definition, astir 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity is the magnitude astatine which creating 1 atomic limb is theoretically imaginable — if the worldly is enriched further, to 90%.

The reports travel astatine a captious clip arsenic Israel and Iran person traded rocket attacks successful caller months aft much than a twelvemonth of warfare successful Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, a radical supported by Iran.

Adding to the complexity, Donald Trump’s reelection raises questions astir whether and however the incoming medication and Iran whitethorn engage.

Trump’s archetypal word successful bureau was marked by a peculiarly troubled period, erstwhile helium pursued a argumentation of “maximum pressure” against Tehran. He unilaterally withdrew America from Iran’s atomic woody with satellite powers, starring to the sanctions hobbling the economy, and ordered the sidesplitting of the country’s apical general.

Iran past week offered not to grow its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60%, during a sojourn to Tehran by the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The IAEA said during the meetings, “the anticipation of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 was discussed, including method verification measures indispensable for the Agency to corroborate this, if implemented.”

The study said that 1 time aft Grossi near Iran, connected Nov. 16, IAEA inspectors verified that “Iran had begun implementation of preparatory measures aimed astatine stopping the summation of its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 % U-235” astatine its underground atomic sites successful Fordow and Natanz.

The reports travel up of this week’s regular IAEA Board of Governors gathering successful Vienna. Western countries person been considering a solution censuring Iran for its nonaccomplishment to amended practice with the agency.

A elder diplomat, who spoke connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that of the sensitivity of the issue, said it is imaginable that the commitments made by Iran during the IAEA’s main sojourn whitethorn not basal successful lawsuit a solution is passed. In the past, Iran has responded to resolutions by the IAEA Board of Governors by further enhancing its atomic program.

Iran has maintained its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only, but Grossi, has antecedently warned that Tehran has capable uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to marque “several” atomic bombs if it chose to bash so. He has acknowledged the U.N. bureau cannot warrant that nary of Iran’s centrifuges whitethorn person been peeled distant for clandestine enrichment.

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The IAEA besides reported that Iran has failed to instrumentality factual steps arsenic of present to amended cooperation, contempt pleas by Grossi, who held talks past week with Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian.

However, Tuesday’s confidential study besides said that during Grossi’s sojourn to Iran connected Nov. 14, “Iran agreed to respond to the Agency’s concerns related to Iran’s withdrawal of the designation of respective experienced Agency inspectors by considering the acceptance of the designation of 4 further experienced inspectors.”

In September 2023, Iran barred immoderate of the Vienna-based agency’s astir experienced inspectors.

The study besides said determination was nary advancement frankincense acold successful reinstalling much monitoring equipment, including cameras, removed successful June 2022. Since then, the lone recorded information comes from IAEA cameras installed astatine a centrifuge store successful Isfahan successful May 2023 — though Iran has not provided the IAEA with entree to this information and inspectors person not been capable to work the cameras.

Last week, Eslami warned that Iran could retaliate if challenged astatine the upcoming IAEA committee meeting. Grossi acknowledged immoderate nations were considering taking enactment against Iran.

In an effort to guarantee Iran could not make atomic weapons, satellite powers struck a woody with Tehran successful 2015 nether which it agreed to bounds enrichment of uranium to levels indispensable for atomic powerfulness successful speech for the lifting of economical sanctions. U.N. inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program

Under the archetypal 2015 atomic deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium lone up to 3.67% purity, tin support a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms and is permitted to usage lone precise basal IR-1 centrifuges, machines that rotation uranium state astatine precocious velocity for enrichment purposes.

A twelvemonth aft the U.S. withdrawal from the woody nether Donald Trump, Iran started to gradually wantonness each limits the woody enactment connected its programme and began enriching uranium to up to 60% purity.