Iran has begun large-scale production of uranium enriched to 60%, a level , the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned this Friday. Tehran “has dramatically accelerated uranium enrichment,” he told Reuters. In a confidential report to its member states, to which EFE and Reuters have had access, the UN nuclear agency confirmed that the Islamic Republic is accelerating this process at the Fordow plant, where it will reach a monthly production capacity of more than 34 kilos. of uranium enriched to 60%, compared to 4.7 kilos per month until now.
The IAEA verified that on December 3, despite having asked Iran not to make changes without applying additional control measures, the Iranian authorities began to install new machinery and material intended to produce 60% uranium. According to that report, last Thursday IAEA inspectors confirmed that Iran began using this machinery for the large-scale production of 60% uranium, while uranium enriched up to 5% was produced in another unit of the plant.
The IAEA’s conclusions will increase alarm in Western countries that claim that there is no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level for the development of a program for civilian purposes and that no other country has enriched uranium to such levels without the objective of producing nuclear weapons. Tehran insists that its goal is not to develop the atomic bomb.
“It is a serious step towards escalation by Tehran, which we strongly condemn,” a German Foreign Ministry source told Reuters. “It is obvious that these measures clearly harm the diplomatic channel,” he added.
The latest IAEA report estimates that Iran already has more than 180 kilos of uranium with a purity of more than 60%, and experts warn that, with 50 kilos of this material, it would be possible to manufacture a nuclear warhead. . In its November report, the IAEA was very concerned about Iran’s production of highly enriched uranium and recalled that it is the “only non-nuclear weapon state that does so.”
The decision to accelerate its production of near-military-level uranium comes after the IAEA Board of Governors approved a resolution in November by Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States for the IAEA to prepare a “comprehensive report” on the Iranian nuclear activities.
The resolution sought to exert diplomatic pressure on the Islamic Republic after the failure of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which established important limitations on Iranian nuclear development in exchange for relief from international sanctions, especially economic ones. That agreement weakened after and ultimately failed with the Iranian response of violating established commitments.
Iran has violated the terms of the 2015 nuclear pact by increasing uranium enrichment to 60% (well above the 3.67% limit allowed), accumulating uranium reserves about 30 times greater than authorized and reactivating previously restricted nuclear facilities . In addition, it has made it difficult for IAEA inspectors to monitor its nuclear program since 2021.
