Iran has amassed even more near weapons-grade uranium, U.N. watchdog says

Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to adjacent weapons-grade levels, a confidential study by the U.N. atomic watchdog said Saturday and called connected Tehran to urgently alteration people and comply with the agency’s probe.

The study comes astatine a delicate clip arsenic Tehran and Washington person been holding respective rounds of talks successful the past weeks implicit a imaginable atomic woody that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to reach.

The study by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency — which was seen by The Associated Press — says that arsenic of May 17, Iran has amassed 900.8 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60%.

That’s an summation of 294.9 pounds — oregon astir 50% — since the IAEA’s past study successful February. The 60% enriched worldly is simply a short, method measurement distant from weapons-grade levels of 90%. A study successful February enactment this stockpile level astatine 605.8 pounds.

There was nary contiguous remark from Tehran connected the caller IAEA report.

The IAEA study raised a stern warning, saying that Iran is present “the lone non-nuclear-weapon authorities to nutrient specified material” — thing the bureau said was of “serious concern.”

Approximately 92 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically capable to nutrient one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90.2%, according to the watchdog.

What does the study say?

The IAEA report, a quarterly, besides estimated that arsenic of May 17, Iran’s wide stockpile of enriched uranium — which includes uranium enriched to little levels — stood astatine 20,387.4. That’s an summation of 2,101.4 pounds since February’s report.

Iran has maintained its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has warned that Tehran has capable uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to marque “several” atomic bombs if it chose to bash so.

Iranian officials person progressively suggested that Tehran could prosecute an atomic bomb.

U.S. quality agencies measure that Iran has yet to statesman a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that amended presumption it to nutrient a atomic device, if it chooses to bash so.”

Israel’s swift reaction

Israel said Saturday’s study was a wide informing motion that “Iran is wholly determined to implicit its atomic weapons program,” according to a connection from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

It said IAEA’s study “strongly reinforces what Israel has been saying for years — the intent of Iran’s atomic programme is not peaceful.”

It besides added that Iran’s level of enrichment “has nary civilian justification whatsoever” and appealed connected the planetary assemblage to “act present to halt Iran.”

Call for cooperation

Grossi said Saturday that helium “reiterates his urgent telephone upon Iran to cooperate afloat and effectively” with the IAEA’s years agelong probe into uranium traces discovered astatine respective sites successful Iran.

The IAEA besides circulated to subordinate states connected Saturday a second, 22-page confidential report, besides seen by the AP, that Grossi requested pursuing a solution passed by the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors past November.

In this alleged “comprehensive report,” the IAEA said that Iran’s practice with the bureau has “been little than satisfactory” erstwhile it comes to uranium traces discovered by IAEA inspectors astatine several locations successful Iran that Tehran has failed to state arsenic atomic sites.

Western officials fishy that the uranium traces discovered by the IAEA could supply grounds that Iran had a concealed subject atomic programme until 2003.

One of the sites became known publically successful 2018 aft Netanyahu revealed it astatine the United Nations and called it a clandestine atomic warehouse hidden astatine a rug-cleaning plant.

Iran denied this but successful 2019 IAEA inspectors detected the beingness of manmade uranium particles there.

What is the IAEA inspecting successful Iran?

After initially blocking IAEA access, inspectors were capable to cod samples successful 2020 from 2 different locations wherever they besides detected the beingness of manmade uranium particles.

The 3 locations became known arsenic Turquzabad, Varamin, and Marivan.

A 4th undeclared determination named arsenic Lavisan-Shian is besides portion of the IAEA probe but IAEA inspectors ne'er visited the tract due to the fact that it was razed and demolished by Iran aft 2003.

A pistillate opposes the U.S. atomic woody with Iran astatine a rally successful New York's Times Square successful 2015.Kena Betancur / AFP via Getty Images file

In Saturday’s broad report, the IAEA says that the “lack of answers and clarifications provided by Iran” to questions the watchdog had regarding Lavisan-Shian, Varamin and Marivan “has led the bureau to reason that these 3 locations, and different imaginable related locations, were portion of an undeclared structured atomic programme carried retired by Iran until the aboriginal 2000s and that immoderate activities utilized undeclared atomic material.”

What’s next?

Saturday’s broad study could beryllium a ground for imaginable further steps by European nations, starring to a imaginable escalation successful tensions betwixt Iran and the West.

European countries could determination to trigger snap-back sanctions against Iran that were lifted nether the archetypal 2015 atomic woody up of October, erstwhile the woody formally expires.

On Thursday, elder Iranian officials dismissed speculation astir an imminent atomic woody with the United States, emphasizing that immoderate statement indispensable afloat assistance sanctions and let the country’s atomic programme to continue.

The comments came a time aft Trump said helium has told Netanyahu to clasp disconnected connected striking Iran to springiness the U.S. medication much clip to propulsion for a caller woody with Tehran.

Trump said connected Friday that helium inactive thinks a woody could beryllium completed successful the “not excessively distant future.”

“They don’t privation to beryllium blown up. They would alternatively marque a deal,” Trump said of Iran. He added, “That would beryllium a large happening that we could person a woody without bombs being dropped all implicit the Middle East.”