Iran further increased its stockpile of uranium to near weapons-grade levels and has carried out secret nuclear activities, the UN watchdog has said.
A report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that as of 17 May, Iran has amassed 408.6kg of uranium enriched up to 60% – an increase of 133.8kg since the IAEA’s last report in February.
That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Issuing a stern warning, the IAEA said Iran is now “the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material”, which it said is of “serious concern”.
IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs, if it chose to do so.
A separate IAEA report also found traces of uranium at two to four sites that indicated Tehran had hosted secret experiments.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visits nuclear centrifuges in Tehran in 2023. Pic: Reuters
It concluded that “these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material”.
The findings of this report, in particular, are important, as they could lead to Iran being referred to the UN Security Council.
European countries could also reimplement sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015.
Pic: Reuters
More immediately, it is likely to complicate recent talks between Iran and the US over a possible nuclear deal that Donald Trump is trying to reach.
On 29 May, senior Iranian officials dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the US, emphasising that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country’s nuclear programme to continue.
Tehran has always said it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
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From 14 May: ‘They cannot have nuclear weapons’
However, the IAEA report spelt out that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA continues to be “less than satisfactory” in “a number of respects”.
Israel said the IAEA report was a clear warning sign that “Iran is totally determined to complete its nuclear weapons programme”, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
It said the IAEA’s report “strongly reinforces what Israel has been saying for years – the purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is not peaceful”.
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran is ‘determined’ to finish its nuclear weapons programme. Pic: Reuters
It comes after Mr Trump told Mr Netanyahu to hold off striking Iran to give his government more time to push for a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
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Mr Trump said on Friday that he still thinks a deal could be completed in the “not too distant future”.
“They don’t want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal,” the US president said, adding: “That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East.”
