Iran is “galloping ahead” with its program of enriching uranium at a high level, according to Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Grossi said that the Iranian regime is pushing forward with its uranium enrichment program and continues to hinder the agency’s inspections.
In an interview with the English-language newspaper The National published on January 16, Grossi said, “Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state, which is enriching uranium at this very, very high level – very close to weapons grade.”
The latest report from the IAEA shows that Iran has increased the speed of uranium production to a level close to weapons-grade.
Grossi said that Iran’s insistence on enriching uranium to a high level occurs in a tense Middle East region, with the conflict in Gaza adding to hostilities against Israel and its allies.
However, the head of the IAEA emphasized that the path of dialogue with Iran, which claims to be advancing its enrichment program for non-military purposes, remains open.
He stated that the overall picture indicates that Tehran is advancing its nuclear program with ambitious goals. While he does not oppose this development, he emphasized that the level of international inspectors’ supervision should be commensurate with these activities.
Grossi said that even if Iran’s nuclear program is for non-military use, the Iranian regime has not adhered to its commitments. He pointed out that Iran has acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons and must abide by that commitment.
In this interview, Grossi stated that Tehran continues to deny certain inspectors access to its facilities based on their nationality, which contradicts the nature of the agency’s activities.
On December 26, 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced that the Iranian regime had once again increased the speed and quantity of its production of 60% enriched uranium.
According to the agency, the amount of 60% enrichment by Iran, which had previously decreased to three kilograms per month, has increased again.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had increased the production of 60% enriched hexafluoride uranium to approximately nine kilograms per month at the Fordow and Natanz sites since the end of November 2023.
Uranium enriched to 60% is close to weapons-grade.
The United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom condemned Iran’s acceleration of the speed and quantity of enriched uranium in a joint statement.
These countries considered Iran’s recent decisions as evidence of its lack of goodwill towards de-escalation and described it as a reckless move in a turbulent regional situation.
They further called for an immediate halt to these actions and the de-escalation of Iran’s nuclear program, as well as full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency as a guarantee of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, referred to the reactions to the IAEA report as “media frenzy” aimed at “diverting public attention” from Gaza.
