Iran increases production of enriched uranium and does not respond to IAEA concerns

Iran continues with its controversial nuclear programme and increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium in three months by almost a third, to 55.6 kilos, a purity close to the level needed to make atomic bombs, the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear agency, reported on Wednesday. 

A classified report, to which Efe had access in Vienna, specifies that the amount of uranium enriched by Iran to different levels (2 %, 5 %, 20 % and 60 %), increased between May and August by 131.6 kilos, to 3,940.9 kilos, well above the limits established by the 2015 agreement limiting the Iranian nuclear programme. 

The inspectors also stress that Iran's decision to disconnect dozens of IAEA monitoring and verification cameras will hamper their ability to provide assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. 

While production of fissile material, with possible dual civilian and military uses, continues to grow, Iran is restricting inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its territory. 

Specifically, the Iranians refuse to allow inspectors to visit any facilities without prior notice, nor do they provide access to electronic monitoring data on enriched uranium production. 

Tehran decided last June to disconnect some 40 verification cameras from the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) in reaction to a critical resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors. 

The JCPOA stipulates that Iran should have no more than 300 kilograms of enriched uranium in gas form, equivalent to about 200 kilograms in solid form. Iran, which has been in non-compliance with its obligations under the agreement since 2019, justifies the production of uranium enriched to 60% as material dedicated to medical purposes. 

Sources close to the IAEA told reporters today that Iran is increasing the rate of production of such enriched uranium, as it is managing to "optimise the process". 

Negotiations on the reinstatement of the JCPOA are in the final stretch, although the parties appear to be at a stalemate to reach an agreement. The European Union (EU) submitted a final proposal in August to salvage the deal, to which Iran and the US have submitted their comments. 

Tehran is making compliance with the JCPOA conditional on the IAEA completing its safeguards investigations (controls) in Iran.  

In a second report issued by the agency today, the inspectors criticise that they have yet to receive "technically credible explanations" for the presence of uranium particles at three undeclared nuclear facilities. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expresses in this second report his "growing concern" that Iran is not cooperating in clarifying these doubts. Therefore, the IAEA is not in a position to confirm that Iran's atomic programme is exclusively peaceful.