IAEA: Iran has accumulated almost enough weapon-grade uranium

A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), previously disclosed to the press, indicates that Iran has augmented both its production and reserves of enriched uranium to concentrations approaching those required for military nuclear applications. According to the report, as of May 17, Iran’s inventory included 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. This represents an increase of 133.8 kilograms, approximating a 50 percent rise, since the IAEA’s preceding report in February. Uranium enriched to these levels is amenable to further enrichment to the 90 percent concentration necessary for the creation of a nuclear weapon. As of yet, Tehran has not issued a response to the recent IAEA report. While Iran has asserted that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful applications, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has urged Iran to fully cooperate with the agency’s investigation, a redirection occurring concurrently with efforts by the United States to achieve an agreement with Iran to constrain its nuclear program. Several rounds of discussions, mediated by Oman, have been conducted between the parties, thus far without discernible outcomes.