The International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to understand how Iran accumulated this enriched uranium
International nuclear energy inspectors in Iran last week discovered uranium enriched to levels just below those needed to produce a nuclear weapon, according to two senior diplomats, emphasizing the risk that the country’s rampant nuclear attack activities will spark a new crisis the Bloomberg website reported on Sunday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to figure out how Iran stockpiled enriched uranium at a purity of 84% — the highest level ever found by inspectors in the country, and a concentration just 6% less than what is required for a weapon. Iran had previously told the IAEA that its centrifuges were configured to enrich uranium to 60% purity.
Inspectors must determine whether Iran manufactured this material intentionally, or whether the concentration is an unintentional buildup in the network of pipes connecting the hundreds of high-speed centrifuges used to separate the isotopes. This is the second time this month that observers have spotted suspicious enrichment-related activity.
The development comes as Iran becomes increasingly isolated from the West and nuclear talks with world powers are on hold. The country has also been widely condemned for its deadly crackdown on major protests, and the United States and European Union have tightened sanctions on Iran over its military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.