Iran increases enriched uranium stockpiles, close to producing weapons

(Patria) - Iran has further increased its stockpiles of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seen by AP, states that as of August 17, Iran has 164.7 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. This is an increase of 22.6 kilograms since the IAEA's last report in May.

Uranium enriched to 60 percent is only a short technical step away from the 90 percent weapons-grade level. According to the IAEA's definition, about 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent is the amount at which the creation of one atomic weapon is theoretically possible if the material is further enriched to 90 percent.

IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi has previously warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels to make "several" nuclear bombs if it chooses to do so.

Thursday's report is the latest low point in the spiraling relationship between Tehran and the IAEA. It follows a June 6 resolution by the IAEA's 35-member Board of Governors that condemned Iran for not fully cooperating with the Vienna-based agency.

Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers set limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, which the West fears could be used to build nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is for peaceful purposes.

But the deal collapsed after the Donald Trump administration withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, leading Iran to abandon all limits the deal had placed on its program and enrich uranium to 60 percent purity.

Meanwhile, surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have also been disrupted, and Iran has banned some of the Vienna-based agency's most experienced inspectors from working. Iranian officials also increasingly threaten that they could make atomic weapons.

The IAEA report further states that Tehran has not reconsidered its September decision to ban the agency's inspectors from monitoring its nuclear program and that the IAEA's surveillance cameras remain offline.

The IAEA said it requested on August 8 that Iran grant access to a centrifuge production site in the city of Isfahan to service its cameras, but received no response.

The report states that Iran has still not provided answers to a long-standing investigation into the origin and current location of artificial uranium particles found at two sites that Tehran did not declare as potential nuclear sites, known as Varamin and Turquzabad.

The IAEA report states that as of August 17, Iran's total stockpiles of enriched uranium amounted to 5,751.8 kilograms.

The IAEA report also states that the agency confirmed Tehran has finished installing eight cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at its underground facility in the city of Fordo. These additional eight cascades are not yet operational, meaning they are not yet enriching uranium.

The IAEA also announced that Iran has completed the installation of ten of the eighteen planned cascades of IR-2m centrifuges at the underground site in Natanz, and that the installation of two cascades is underway there.

The IAEA says Iran has begun operating six cascades of previously installed IR-2m centrifuges and nine cascades of previously installed IR-4 centrifuges at the underground Natanz site.