West condemns accelerated uranium enrichment in Iran

(Patria) - Western powers have condemned Iran for accelerating the production of highly enriched uranium, after the watchdog said it had increased production following a months-long slowdown, AFP reports.

In a joint statement, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States said they "condemn this measure which further complicates the escalation of Iran's nuclear program," adding that "Iran's production of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification".

The statement came two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report stating that Iran had "increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous slowdown in production since mid-2023".

Iran has increased its production of 60 percent enriched uranium to a rate of about nine kilograms per month since the end of November, the UN organization said. This is an increase from about three kilograms per month since June and a return to the nine kilograms per month it produced in the first half of 2023.

In their statement on Thursday, the Western powers said "this development represents a step in the wrong direction by Iran," warning of "significant proliferation risks".

"These decisions demonstrate Iran's lack of willingness to engage in de-escalation in good faith and result in irresponsible behavior in the context of regional tensions," the statement said. Responding to the IAEA report, Iran's top nuclear official Mohammad Eslami said: "We have done nothing new and our activities are in line with regulations".

Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for use in nuclear weapons.