Iran offers to cap enriched uranium stock if UN watchdog scraps censure
European powers set to admonish regime at IAEA meet for lack of cooperation with inspectors; stockpile of 60% enriched uranium has grown in recent months, despite int’l demands
VIENNA, Austria — Iran has offered to not further expand its stock of highly enriched uranium and has made preparations to implement the restriction, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report to member states on Tuesday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency assessed that Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity since its last tally in August, in defiance of international demands, according to the report, which was seen by news agencies.
Uranium enriched to 60% purity has no civilian application and is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
During IAEA chief Rafael Grossi’s trip to Iran last week, “the possibility of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 was discussed, including technical verification measures necessary for the Agency to confirm this if implemented,” the report read.
Iran’s offer would cap the stock at around 185 kilograms (408 pounds).
On November 16, one day after Grossi left Iran, IAEA inspectors verified that Tehran had started to get ready to curb its stockpile at underground nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz, the report said.
“Iran ha[s] begun implementation of preparatory measures aimed at stopping the increase of its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 % U-235,” it read.
A senior diplomat, however, said Iran’s offer, which would cap the stock at around 185 kg, was conditional on Western powers scrapping a planned resolution against Iran at this week’s IAEA board of governors meeting.
A senior Western diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, confirmed to the AP that the United Kingdom, France and Germany, with support from the US, were going ahead with a resolution at this week’s IAEA Board of Governors meeting, censuring Iran for its lack of cooperation, leading to a potential confrontation with Iran ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
“We remain tightly coordinated with our E3 partners in advance of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting. And, we strongly support efforts to hold Iran accountable,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Tuesday in Washington.
“The Iranian regime continues to amass a growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium for which there is no credible civilian purpose and they continue to not cooperate fully with the IAEA,” he added.
The IAEA assessed that as of October 26, Iran had 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) since the last report in August.
The IAEA also estimated in its quarterly report that as of October 26, Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 6,604.4 kilograms (14,560 pounds), which represents an increase of 852.6 kilograms (1,879.6 pounds) since the last report in August.
That puts the stockpile at more than 32 times the limit set in the 2015 accord between Iran and world powers to limit its nuclear program. That agreement, which the US pulled out of in 2017, allowed Iran to maintain a stockpile of up to 300 grams (661 pounds), but only enriched to 3.67%.
Under the IAEA’s definition, creating a single atomic weapon requires 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, assuming the material is enriched further to 90%.
Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, despite moving toward military-grade enrichment levels.
Grossi has in the past warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has also acknowledged the UN agency cannot guarantee that none of Iran’s centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment.
According to the IAEA report, Iran has failed to take concrete steps to improve cooperation, despite pleas by Grossi, who last week traveled to Tehran for talks with Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The report said that during Grossi’s visit, Iran agreed to consider accepting the appointments of four new inspectors, after booting “several experienced Agency inspectors.”
In September 2023, Iran barred some of the Vienna-based agency’s most experienced inspectors.
The report noted that no progress had been made in getting Iran to allow the reinstallation of monitoring equipment, including cameras, removed in June 2022, which also has “detrimental implications for the Agency’s ability to provide assurances of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”
Since then, the only recorded data is that of IAEA cameras installed at a centrifuge workshop in Isfahan in May 2023 — although Iran has not provided the IAEA with access to this data, and inspectors have not been able to service the cameras.
The report came on the eve of the IAEA board of governors meeting, where European powers — backed by the United States — will seek to censure Iran for its poor cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Diplomats told AFP that the planned censure is driven by a need to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran to come back into compliance and address the IAEA’s long-standing concerns.
Last week, Eslami warned that Iran could retaliate if taken to task at the upcoming IAEA board meeting. Grossi acknowledged some nations were considering taking action against Iran.
A senior diplomat said Iran could renege on some of the commitments made to Grossi in response to a resolution against the country being passed.