UN Nuclear Watchdog Report Shows Iran’s Deceleration in Enrichment of Nearly Weapons-Grade Uranium

A report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, seen by The Associated Press, reveals that Iran has significantly slowed down its enrichment of uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels.

This confidential report comes at a time when Iran and the United States are engaged in negotiations for a prisoner swap and the release of frozen Iranian assets in South Korea. Slowing down uranium enrichment can be seen as a step towards reducing tensions between Tehran and Washington, especially after the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, Iran currently has 121.6 kilograms (268 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, which is a slower growth compared to previous counts. In May, the stockpile was just over 114 kilograms (250 pounds), while in February it was 87.5 kilograms (192 pounds).

It is important to note that uranium enriched at 60% purity is only a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. While Iran asserts that its nuclear program is peaceful, the director-general of the IAEA has warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs.

However, it would still take Iran several months to build a nuclear weapon. U.S. intelligence agencies have stated that Tehran is not currently involved in key nuclear weapons-development activities. The IAEA, as well as the West and other countries, believe that Iran had a secret military nuclear program that was abandoned in 2003.

Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was limited to a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and enrichment to 3.67%. This was sufficient for peaceful nuclear power generation. The U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 sparked a series of escalations and attacks by Iran.

While Iran has slowed down its enrichment activities, the IAEA report also highlights challenges in monitoring Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian restrictions have prevented the IAEA from accessing surveillance camera footage since February 2021, and the only recorded data since June 2022 has been from cameras at a workshop in the city of Isfahan.

Iran has not previously acknowledged the visa denials mentioned in the report. The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.