(Vienna) Iran has significantly increased its stock of enriched uranium in recent months, continuing its nuclear escalation even if it denies wanting to acquire the bomb, according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ) consulted on Wednesday by AFP.
The UN body, however, notes “progress” in cooperation and has decided to close the file on the presence of nuclear material on one of the three undeclared sites, a question that has long poisoned relations between the two parties.
The Islamic Republic severely limited its exchanges with the Agency and disconnected surveillance cameras last year, amid deteriorating relations between Iran and Western powers.
At the same time, it continued to free itself from the commitments made under the 2015 international agreement, following the withdrawal of the United States decided in 2018 by President Donald Trump.
Its stocks of enriched uranium now exceed the authorized limit by more than 23 times: they amounted to 4744.5 kg on May 13 (against 3760.8 kg in October), according to the report presented to Member States a few days before a meeting of the Board of Governors.
Above all, Iran is always enriching at high levels, far from the limit set at 3.67%: it thus has 470.9 kg at 20% (compared to 434.7 kg previously) and 114.1 kg at 60 % (against 87.5 kg).
Regarding the Marivan site, in southern Iran, the IAEA says it has received “plausible explanations” from Tehran.
The international organization “has no additional questions” and this file is “considered to be settled at this stage”.
However, it sticks to its previous assessments on the subject, according to which Iran had planned in 2003 to store nuclear materials there for explosive tests.