The U.N. nuclear watchdog says Iran has expanded its stockpile of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels, a move made in defiance of international demands, and has continued to allow the agency’s most experienced nuclear inspectors access to the country’s nuclear program.
News agencies saw the International Atomic Energy Agency’s confidential report Thursday.
Nuclear diplomacy with Iran has been at a near-standstill with the recent election of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in the report sent to member states Thursday that he hoped “his initial exchange with Pezeshkian will be followed by an early visit to Iran and the establishment of a fluid, constructive dialogue that swiftly leads to concrete results.”
The report revealed that as of August 17, Iran had 164.7 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 22.6 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in May.
Uranium enriched up to 60% purity falls short of the 90% target needed for weapons-grade uranium. Iranian officials have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons.
Grossi has warned before that Iran has enough uranium enriched nearly to the weapons-grade level to make several nuclear bombs.
There has been no progress, according to the IAEA report, on two yearslong issues. Iran continues to prevent IAEA inspectors, including those who specialize in enrichment, from entering the country’s nuclear locations. There has also been no explanation from Iran as to why traces of uranium were detected at two locations that have not been declared nuclear locations.
In addition, the report revealed that Iran has added at least eight clusters of centrifuges, the machines that refine uranium, to the country’s main enrichment sites. However, the new machines have not been brought on line, according to the IAEA report, which means that the machines are not yet refining uranium.
Iran had a landmark deal with world powers that placed limits on its nuclear program, which Iran has always insisted is designed only for peaceful purposes. In exchange, the deal lifted economic sanctions that had been placed on Iran. That deal fell apart in 2018 when the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned it. Trump’s move left Iran free to enrich its uranium to the near-weapons level of 60%.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
