Iran agrees to resume negotiations on a deal to limit nuclear fuel production
In a confidential report obtained by AFP news agency on Monday (26), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the body responsible for monitoring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, said it had “growing concerns” about the state of the country nurture nuclear development in the country.
According to the text, Iran is continuing its nuclear escalation and has enough material to do so make several atomic bombs.
According to another document dated February 10, reserves stood at 5,525.5 kilograms, compared to 4,486.8 kilograms at the end of October.
That's it 27 times more than the limit permitted by the 2015 international agreementwhich restricts the country's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of international sanctions.
Agency president asks for cooperation
The agency's director general, Rafael Grossi, called on the Iranian government to “cooperate fully with UN inspectors.” The relationship between the two parties has deteriorated in recent months.
In stillconfidential documents, Grossi points to “public statements in Iran about its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons that reinforce concerns” about information from the Iranian government.
The Islamic Republic denies wanting to develop the bombbut some of the country's politicians have made worrying statements, a diplomatic source said.
In 2018, the USA withdrew from the nuclear agreement at the initiative of President Donald Trump. Since then, Iran has increasingly defaulted on the commitments made in this pact.
In 2022, there were negotiations to revive the agreement, but the initiative was not implemented.
Uranium enrichment
Iran significantly lowered the limit for uranium enrichment to 3.67%, which is the same as the limit for nuclear power plants to generate electricity. Currently, the country has 712.2 kg of 20% and 121.5 kg of 60% enriched material.
In the case of 60 percent enrichment, close to the 90 percent needed to make a nuclear bomb, Tehran has slowed its production after intensifying it late last year.
“They decided to carry out a dilution operation at the beginning of the year. Maybe they don’t want to increase tensions with the Western powers,” Grossi said.
1 of 1 Ebrahim Raisi in a speech in February 2024 Photo: West Asia News Agency/Via Portal Ebrahim Raisi in a speech in February 2024 Photo: West Asia News Agency/Via Portal
The Western powers want to prevent a conflagration in the Middle East.
Since November 2022, the meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors have ended without submitting resolutions.
US “extremely concerned”
This Monday, the United States said it was “extremely concerned about the further expansion of Iran’s nuclear program without credible civil justification,” according to diplomatic spokesman Matthew Miller.
“The overall picture remains very bleak,” said Eric Brewer of the US think tank Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). “No diplomatic avenue appears to be able to stop the escalation in the near future,” he said.
Under these conditions, the IAEA appears powerless. Grossi “deeply regretted” that Iran did not deviate from its decision decertify several agency inspectors.
This “unprecedented” measure, announced in September, has a “direct impact and a deterioration” of the UN agency's ability to control Iran's nuclear program, the IAEA said repeatedly.
In this sense, Grossi said that the Islamic Republic has restricted its cooperation with the IAEA like never before and is a “hostage situation”.
In the face of this criticism, the Iranian government announced last week that it had invited Grossi to visit Tehran in May for an international energy conference.