Iran has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to near-weapons-grade levels in defiance of international requirements, the UN agency IAEA said in a confidential report released on Thursday. The report was reported today, August 30, by The National.
The IAA report, seen by The Associated Press, said Iran had 164.7 kg of 60% enriched uranium as of Aug. 17, up 22.6 kg from the previous report released in May. As of Aug. 17, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was 5,751.8 kg. Uranium enriched to 60% purity is said to be close to the 90% level needed for weapons production.
The report said, among other things, that Tehran has also failed to reconsider its September 2023 decision to ban its most experienced nuclear inspectors from monitoring its atomic program, and that the agency’s surveillance cameras remain inoperative.
The UN document notes that Iran has yet to provide answers to the agency’s years-long investigation into the origins of artificial uranium particles found at Varamin and Turquzabad, which Tehran has not identified as possible nuclear sites. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.
The report comes days after Iran’s supreme leader opened the door to resuming talks with the United States over his country’s fast-growing nuclear program, telling the civilian government there is “nothing wrong” with collaborating with the “enemy.”
It is known that the President of the United States joe bidenUpon taking office, he said he would work to renew the Iran nuclear deal, but negotiations have stalled. Since then, geopolitical circumstances in the Middle East and beyond have changed, complicating prospects for reviving the nuclear deal.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks on Tuesday set clear limits for any negotiations under the reformist president’s new government. Masuda Pezeshkianand reiterated his warnings that Washington cannot be trusted.
And although the newly elected Iranian president confirmed “his agreement to meet” with the head of the IAEA, no talks have been held on this topic since then.
