Iran has increased production of enriched uranium to 60%, reaching a total of 142.1 kilograms, as revealed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This represents an increase of 20.6 kilograms compared to the previous technical report issued three months ago.
The production of highly enriched uranium is
In the report, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed concern over Iran’s continued refusal to allow some inspectors in, thus hampering the agency’s verification capabilities. This restriction further complicates the monitoring of Iranian nuclear activities.
In addition, the IAEA estimates that the total stockpile of enriched uranium Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile has risen to 6,201 kilograms, an increase of 675.8 kilograms since the last quarterly report. Stocks of 2% enriched uranium increased by 637 kilograms to 2,571 kilograms, while those of 5% enriched uranium decreased slightly to 2,376.9 kilograms. On the other hand, 20% enriched uranium increased by 39.1 kilograms to 751.3 kilograms.
On the other hand, the amount of 60% enriched uranium was reduced from 128.3 to 121.5 kilograms, possibly due to dilution of the material to lower purities. In November 2022, Iran had 62 kilograms of uranium at 60%, less than half of what it currently possesses.
Iran’s established regulations
The 2015 nuclear deal, from which the U.S. unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and Iran began breaching in 2019, set a limit of 300 kilograms of enriched uranium with a maximum purity of 3.67%. This continued violation by Iran has been strongly criticized by the IAEA.
The international organization has also denounced the fact that Iran continues to impose restrictions on nuclear supervision under the Non-ProliferationTreaty (NPT), mainly affecting European inspectors. Despite Grossi’s calls for Iran to revoke these restrictions, Tehran has maintained its position.
The recent IAEA report states that the agency’s verification and monitoring activities have been severely curtailed due to Iran’s decision to cease compliance with its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.
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Source: AP News
Photo: Shutterstock
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