Two reports by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirm Iran’s increase in the stock of uranium close to weapon grade. This comes as the country announced a dramatic acceleration in enrichment last December, while there has been no progress on resolving outstanding issues.
According to the report, the stock of uranium was enriched up to 60% fissile purity. This is close to roughly 90% of bomb grade and has been a long-standing concern for the Western Powers. The western governments say there is no civil justification for enriching uranium to such a high level while Iran says it seeks only a peaceful nuclear energy.
Trump on Iran
The US President Donald Trump administration has already planned to pressure Iran over its nuclear program. To seize the movement moment, the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has called for diplomacy to impose new restrictions on Iran’s activities.
“The significantly increased production and accumulation of high uranium by Iran. The only non-nuclear weapon state to produce such nuclear material is a serious concern,” states the IAEA.
