Two confidential reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) state that Iran’s stockpile of uranium, enriched to near the threshold required for making a nuclear bomb, is continuously increasing and talks to improve cooperation between Iran and the agency have stopped.
The agency faces numerous challenges in carrying out its mission in Iran, and Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the agency, says Iran is implementing only a small portion of its commitments under the joint agreement signed last year.
In one of the confidential reports sent to the agency’s members, a copy of which Reuters obtained on May 27, it is stated that there has been no progress in the past year regarding the implementation of the provisions of the March 4, 2023, agreement.
About two weeks ago, Rafael Grossi traveled to Tehran to discuss with Iranian officials the aim of improving bilateral cooperation and enhancing agency oversight.
On May 7, upon returning from his trip to Iran, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency called the state of Iran’s cooperation with the agency unacceptable and demanded a change in Iran’s approach.
He also announced in a conversation with reporters in Vienna that both parties had reached a mutual understanding and that Tehran had told him it was ready to work on specific actions.
However, following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the President, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Foreign Minister of the Iranian regime, in a helicopter crash, negotiations between Tehran and the agency have stopped.
In another part of its confidential report, the International Atomic Energy Agency states that its Director General, in contact with the new Iranian government, has emphasized the necessity of continuing negotiations and the agency’s readiness to resume high-level technical talks that began on May 6 and 7.
“France and Britain are pushing for a new resolution at next week’s Board meeting, which the United States has so far not supported, diplomats say. Iran usually bristles at such resolutions, taking nuclear-related steps in response,” Reutersadded.
It has been about 18 months since the last resolutions of the agency’s Board of Governors against the Iranian regime were passed.
In these resolutions, Iran was ordered to promptly provide the necessary conditions for the agency’s snap inspections and to answer the agency’s questions regarding the discovery of uranium traces at undeclared facilities.
Although the number of facilities under investigation has since been reduced to two, Iran has not yet explained how the uranium traces ended up at these facilities.
In another part of the new report to the agency’s Board of Governors, referring to the discovered uranium traces, it is stated that the Director General regrets the unresolved old issue regarding safeguard regulations at Iran’s facilities.
Reuters also reported on May 24, citing diplomats, that the United States and three European countries have disagreements over dealing with Iran through pursuing a resolution against the country in the IAEA Board of Governors.
The Wall Street Journal also claimed on the morning of May 28 that the Biden administration is pressuring its European allies to ease off on pressuring Iran over its nuclear program to avoid escalating tensions with Iran before the November U.S. presidential election.
The report states that the United States opposes the efforts by Britain and France to criticize Iran at the Board of Governors meeting scheduled for June and is even pressuring some other countries not to participate in the resolution vote at the Board of Governors session.
The Iranian regime usually describes the adoption of such resolutions as a political move against Iran’s interests and reacts by taking new steps in its nuclear program.
In the second IAEA report, it is noted that Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium increased by 20.6 kilograms in the quarter ending May 11, bringing it to over 142 kilograms. However, shortly afterward, Iran reduced the enrichment level of 5.9 kilograms of this stockpile.
This is while the agency reported in its March report that Iran had reduced its 60% enriched uranium stockpile, which is close to the weaponization threshold, compared to November 2023.
According to the agency’s measurement criteria, the volume of Iran’s 60% enriched uranium is sufficient that, if further enriched to 90%, it would be enough to produce three nuclear bombs.
Western powers say that enriching uranium to 60% concentration has no credible civilian justification. In contrast, Iran has always emphasized that the goals of its nuclear programs are peaceful.
