IAEA ‘concerned’ by Iran nuclear plans
VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog has voiced growing concern over Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons, fuelled by recent public statements in the country, according to a confidential report seen by AFP on Monday.
Tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly flared since a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanction relief has been left in tatters.
In the report, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said that “public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons” have only increased “concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations”.
In recent years, Iran has reduced its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices for monitoring the nuclear programme and barring inspectors, among other measures.
Ahead of an IAEA board of governors meeting next week, Mr Grossi reiterated his call on Tehran to “cooperate fully and unambiguously with the agency”.
“Only through constructive and meaningful engagement can these concerns be addressed,” Mr Grossi said in the confidential quarterly report.
Tehran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
But statements by officials and politicians about the country’s technical capabilities have strained an already fraught relationship, a diplomat source said.
EU-mediated efforts to revive the deal, which would have brought Washington back on board and Iran back into compliance, collapsed in the summer of 2022.
Iran has significantly ramped up its nuclear programme in recent years and now has enough material to build several atomic bombs.
In a separate confidential report seen by AFP, the agency said that Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 27 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord.
Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 5,525.5 kilogrammes as of Feb 10, up by 1,038.7kg from October, the report said.
Nuclear weapons require uranium enriched to 90% , while enrichment to 3.67% — permitted under the deal — is enough for nuclear power stations.
Iran’s stockpile also includes 712.2kg of uranium enriched to up to 20% and 121.5kg enriched to up to 60%, down by 6.8kg from the last report, due to material being partially diluted.
Asked about the decision by Tehran to “down-blend” some of its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, the diplomat alluded to potential political motivations.
Iran “may not want to increase the tension. They [may] have some agreement with somebody,” the diplomat said, adding that Tehran was still producing about nine kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity per month.
The IAEA’s board of governors has condemned Iran’s lack of cooperation as the country walked back on various commitments. But since November 2022 the board members have refrained from tabling a resolution.