Iran’s nuclear program remains a challenge for international community
Inspectors say Iran has removed 27 surveillance cameras from its nuclear sites
Iran has still not provided “credible information” about the presence at former undeclared nuclear sites of uranium particles that could have come from a nuclear weapon program, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday.
“The Agency continues to assess the significance of this information, including possible implications for the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report to member states seen by AFP.
IAEA says Iran has stepped up enrichment of uranium
The IAEA also said that Iran has further increased its production of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent, a level close to weapons-grade and far above the 3.67 percent maximum set under a 2015 deal with world powers.
“As of May 15, 2023, the Agency estimated that Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was 3,941.1 kilograms, including 174.1 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent U-235,” the IAEA said.
“This represents an increase of 258.4 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent U-235 since the last report,” it added.
The IAEA also said that Iran continues to enrich uranium to 5 percent, the level required for civilian nuclear power generation, but at levels far above the 300-kilogram limit set under the 2015 deal.
“As of May 15, 2023, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile of up to 5 percent U-235 was 1,516.6 kilograms,” the IAEA said.
“This represents an increase of 150.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 5 percent U-235 since the last report,” it added.
IAEA chief warns of ‘serious consequences’ if Iran does not cooperate
The IAEA’s report comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on Tuesday warned of “serious consequences” if Iran does not cooperate with the agency’s investigation into the uranium particles.
“The situation is not sustainable,” Grossi told reporters in Vienna.
“We need to find a way to resolve this, otherwise we will move into a very difficult, dangerous, confrontational situation,” he added.
The US and its allies have accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge that Tehran denies.
The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
However, the US withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Iran has since resumed uranium enrichment and has breached other limits set under the deal.
Comments