International Courant
VIENNA — Iran has additional elevated its stockpile of uranium enriched to close weapons-grade ranges, a confidential report from the United Nations nuclear watchdog confirmed on Monday, the newest in Tehran’s efforts to steadily stress the worldwide group.
Iran is looking for to have financial sanctions on the nation’s controversial nuclear program lifted in change for slowing this system. This system – like all state affairs in Iran – is headed by Iran’s Supreme Chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that’s unlikely to alter within the wake of final week’s helicopter crash that killed Iran’s president and international minister got here.
The Worldwide Atomic Power Company’s report additionally comes in opposition to the backdrop of heightened tensions within the wider Center East because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel and Iran carried out direct assaults on one another’s territory for the primary time final month.
The report, seen by The Related Press, states that as of Could 11, Iran has 142.1 kilograms (313.2 kilos) of uranium enriched to 60% — a rise of 20.6 kilograms (45.4 kilos) for the reason that final report from the UN watchdog in February. Uranium enriched to a purity of 60% is only a brief, technical step away from a weapons-grade stage of 90%.
In line with the IAEA definition, about 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% is the quantity at which creating one nuclear weapon is theoretically attainable – if the fabric is additional enriched, as much as 90%.
The report additionally states that as of Could 11, Iran’s whole stockpile of enriched uranium is 6,201.3 kilograms (1,3671.5 kilos), a rise of 675.8 kilograms (1,489.8 kilos) for the reason that IAEA’s earlier report.
Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceable functions solely, however the head of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has beforehand warned that Tehran has sufficient uranium enriched to close weapons ranges to make “a number of” nuclear bombs if the nation chooses to take action. . He has acknowledged that the UN company can’t assure that none of Iran’s centrifuges have been taken for clandestine enrichment.
Tensions between Iran and the IAEA have elevated since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew america from Tehran’s nuclear take care of world powers. Since then, Iran has deserted any restrictions the deal positioned on its program and has quickly ramped up enrichment.
Beneath the unique nuclear deal, concluded in 2015, Iran was solely allowed to counterpoint uranium to a purity of three.67%, keep a stockpile of about 300 kilograms, and use solely quite simple IR-1 centrifuges – machines that produce uranium gasoline at excessive speeds. turning round for enrichment. functions.
Within the 2015 deal, Tehran agreed to restrict uranium enrichment to ranges obligatory for nuclear energy technology in change for the lifting of financial sanctions. On the time, UN inspectors have been charged with overseeing this system.
Monday’s report additionally stated Tehran has not reconsidered its September 2023 determination to ban IAEA inspectors from additional monitoring its nuclear program, including that it expects Iran “to take action within the context of ongoing consultations between the (IAEA) company and Iran.”
In line with the report, Grossi “deeply regrets” Iran’s determination to ban inspectors – and a reversal of that call “stays important to completely allow the company to successfully conduct its verification actions in Iran.”
The deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Overseas Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have led to a pause in IAEA talks with Tehran on bettering cooperation, the report stated.
Earlier than the Could 19 helicopter crash, Iran had agreed to carry technical negotiations with the IAEA on Could 20, following a go to by Grossi earlier this month. However these conferences fell aside because of the crash. Iran then despatched a letter on Could 21 saying its nuclear staff desires to proceed talks in Tehran “at an applicable date to be mutually agreed upon,” the report stated.
The report additionally states that Iran has nonetheless not responded to the IAEA’s year-long investigation into the origin and present location of artificial uranium particles discovered at two websites that Tehran has not recognized as potential nuclear websites, Varamin and Turquzabad .
It stated the IAEA’s request have to be granted or the company “will be unable to verify the accuracy and completeness of Iranian statements” underneath a safeguards settlement between Tehran and the nuclear watchdog.
The report additionally states that no progress has been made to date in reinstalling extra monitoring gear, together with cameras, which have been eliminated in June 2022. Since then, the one knowledge recorded has been from IAEA cameras put in in a centrifuge workshop within the metropolis of Isfahan in Could 2023 – though Iran has not granted the IAEA entry to this knowledge.
The IAEA stated that on Could 21, after a delay in April, IAEA inspectors “efficiently serviced the cameras on the workshops in Isfahan and that the information that they had collected for the reason that finish of December 2023 was positioned on the websites underneath separate seals of the Company and have been positioned underneath Iranian seals.”
