Iran has amassed more near weapons-grade uranium, UN watchdog IAEA says

Iran has further accrued its stockpile of uranium enriched to adjacent weapons-grade levels, a confidential study by nan UN atomic watchdog has revealed. In a abstracted report, nan agency called connected Tehran to urgently alteration people and comply pinch its years-long probe.

The study comes astatine a delicate time, arsenic nan management of US President Donald Trump seeks to scope a woody pinch Tehran to limit its atomic program. The 2 sides person held respective rounds of talks, truthful acold without agreement.

The study by nan Vienna-based IAEA — which has been seen by The Associated Press — says that arsenic of May 17, Iran has amassed 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%.

That’s an summation of 133.8 kilograms — aliases almost 50% — since nan 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 put this stockpile level astatine 274.8 kilograms.

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

Enough enriched uranium for 'several' atomic bombs

The IAEA study issued a stern warning, saying that Iran is now “the only non-nuclear-weapon authorities to nutrient specified material" — thing nan agency said was of "serious concern.”

Approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically capable to nutrient 1 atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%, according to nan watchdog.

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 9,247.6 kilograms. That's an summation of 953.2 kilograms since February's report.

Iran has maintained its atomic programme is for serene purposes only, but nan IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, has warned that Tehran has capable uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make "several" atomic bombs if it chose to do so.

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

US intelligence agencies measure that Iran has yet to statesman a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that amended position it to nutrient a atomic device, if it chooses to do so.”

Israel's swift reaction

Israel said nan study was a clear informing motion that "Iran is wholly wished to complete 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 — nan 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 nan world organization to “act now to extremity Iran.”

It is uncommon for Netanyahu to make statements connected Saturday, nan Jewish time of rest, underlying nan urgency of nan matter.

Grossi said Saturday that he “reiterates his urgent telephone upon Iran to cooperate afloat and effectively” pinch nan IAEA's years agelong investigation into uranium traces discovered astatine respective sites successful Iran.

The IAEA besides circulated to personnel states connected Saturday a second, 22-page confidential report, besides seen by nan AP, that Grossi was asked to nutrient pursuing a solution passed by nan IAEA committee of governors past November.

In this alleged “comprehensive report,” nan IAEA said that Iran’s practice pinch nan agency has "been little than satisfactory” erstwhile it comes to uranium traces discovered by IAEA inspectors astatine respective locations successful Iran that Tehran has grounded to state arsenic atomic sites.

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

What is nan IAEA inspecting successful Iran?

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

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

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

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

A 4th undeclared location named arsenic Lavisan-Shian is besides portion of nan IAEA probe but IAEA inspectors ne'er visited nan tract because it was razed and demolished by Iran aft 2003.

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

Deal pinch US still astir nan corner?

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

The comments came a time aft President Trump said he told Israeli Prime MInister Netanyahu to clasp disconnected connected striking Iran to springiness nan US management much clip to push for a caller woody pinch Tehran.

Trump said connected Friday that he still thinks a woody could beryllium completed successful nan “not excessively distant future.”

“They don’t want to beryllium blown up. They would alternatively make a deal,” Trump said of Iran. He added, “That would beryllium a awesome point that we could person a woody without bombs being dropped each complete nan Middle East.”