Iran has significantly increased its reserves of enriched uranium in recent months, continuing its nuclear escalation even as it denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) criticized in a confidential report released on Wednesday.
According to the document, the contents of which are quoted by the French news agency AFP, Iran’s reserves of enriched uranium amounted to 4,486.8 kilograms as of October 28 (as opposed to 3,795.5 kilograms in mid-August), more than 22 times the limit set by the international international community of 2015 was allowed. agreement that regulated Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against the country.
The UN nuclear agency insisted that Iran’s decision to deny several inspectors access to facilities where the country conducts nuclear activities has “directly and seriously affected” its ability to continue its nuclear program, which continues to expand, to control.
This “unprecedented” gesture, which targets specific nationalities, is “extreme and unjustified”, the IAEA condemned in another report, a week before a meeting in Vienna of the Board of Governors (a body that meets five times a year and prepares decisions to be ratified by the General Conference).
According to a diplomatic source, the inspectors denied access to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities are eight experts, including French and German citizens.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi today received a response from Tehran stating that he was “within his right” to withdraw the inspectors’ accreditation, although he added that he was “exploring the possibilities was” to reverse his decision.
On other issues, the United Nations organization again regretted the lack of cooperation from the Islamic Republic.
For months, the IAEA has reported that many surveillance cameras had been disabled and no explanation was given for the traces of uranium discovered at two undeclared locations, Turquzabad and Varamin.
As for the enrichment of the silvery, radioactive, dense, flexible and malleable metal, Iran has not only done so in large quantities, but is also doing so at high levels, far from the established limit of 3.67%, which corresponds to what is used. in nuclear power plants for the production of electricity: 567.1 kilos (instead of the previous 535.8) have now been enriched to 20% and 128.3 kilos enriched to 60% (instead of the previous 121.6 kilos).
In the case of the 60% threshold, closer to the 90% needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, Tehran has despite everything slowed down its production pace since the spring.
Some experts see this as a possible sign of Iran’s desire to defuse the situation, at a time when informal talks with the United States have resumed.
In recent weeks, however, hostility between the two hostile countries has been accentuated by the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which Washington and Tehran accuse each other of worsening.
Source: DN
