In its report on Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Iran had taken steps to accelerate the enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels, a move that threatens the resumption of the 2015 nuclear deal. Following the report, the United States (US) urged Iran to halt “such escalations.”
The report, accessed by Reuters, stated that Iran is refining uranium to 60% fissile purity from 20% in April in response to the sabotage of its main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. According to the IAEA, uranium should be enriched to around 90% to reach weapons-grade purity.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Agence France Presse that the enrichment to 60% involved using two centrifuge cascades compared to the one used previously. The recent move takes Iran closer to the 90% weapons-grade level needed for use in a nuclear weapon. Grossi also said that IAEA inspectors had confirmed on Saturday that Iran has successfully produced 200 grams of uranium metal-enriched up to 20%.
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The report confirms Iranian claims that it was able to enrich uranium to 60% purity. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, announced this in April on Twitter. “Any enrichment level that we desire is in our reach at the moment, and we can do it at any time we want,” Qalibaf said.
Moreover, in July, then-President Hassan Rouhani claimed that Iran could enrich uranium to 90% if the need arises. However, Rouhani said that Iran would abide by the limits set by the nuclear deal in return for the lifting of sanctions imposed on it by the United States (US).
After the Agency’s report, the US urged Iran not to continue with such escalations, as it violated the terms set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA limits the purity to which Iran can enrich uranium at 3.67%.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price called the move “unconstructive and inconsistent with a return to mutual compliance.” He added that “such escalations will not provide Iran negotiating leverage” in nuclear negotiations and warned that Iran would be further isolated if it continues to enrich uranium at higher levels. “Iran has no credible need to produce uranium metal, which has direct relevance to nuclear weapons development,” Price said.
However, responding to the report, Iran reiterated that its nuclear programme was peaceful and informed the IAEA about its enrichment. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran would reverse the move if the US returned to the nuclear deal and lifted sanctions.
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Last month, Iran said it is not ready to resume nuclear negotiations in Vienna to restore the 2015 nuclear deal until the new president, Ebrahim Raisi, takes office in August. In June, Iran elected hardline cleric Raisi as president, raising concerns that his government could pursue an aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East, including expanding its proxy network in the region and taking an uncompromising stand on its nuclear programme. In addition, while diplomats have expressed satisfaction with the nuclear discussions so far, the sixth round of talks ended on June 20 with no sign of when the next round of negotiations would resume.
Iranian officials have held intense negotiations to restore the 2015 landmark deal with their counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China in Vienna, Austria since April.